Victorious : Hearts of Glass
by irshgirl
Summary: Following Hearts a Fire, Robbie and Cat return home to face new challenges in their relationship as well as the trials of their Senior Year at Hollywood Arts.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer : I still don't own Victorious, Icarly or anything DS related .

Seattle

The festival was over , Jade's play Love's Lament had taken home a nice chunk of scholarship money, noticeable interest from several colleges , as well as a Broadway producer thus making one Jade West in a good mood and the messy drama that had been a triangle between one Cat Valentine, Robbie Shapiro, and Carly Shay was over .

The couple had survived the machinations of Carly's chase after Robbie and managed to right the trouble within their relationship . Cat had even come out of the situation a bit more stronger than when she had arrived at the beginning of the summer .

Andre and Tori were in a good , solid place in their relationship and now as the summer was fading away , it was time for the gang to pack up Beck's faithful Rv and drive back to California . The sun was barely peeking over the Bushwell Apartments as the iCarlies stood on the sidewalk exchanging hugs and goodbyes with their Hollywood friends .

Robbie had a arm slung over Cat's shoulder, comfortably, as they faced the perky brunette , an embarrassed smile splayed across her pretty features .

" I am so , so sorry for how I acted to you both this summer," Carly was contrite and sincere ," I really cant express to you how awful I feel about everything that I did .I was a horrible, horrible person ."

Robbie exchanged an understanding smile with his girlfriend and simply nodded .

Carly's attempt to steal him from Cat was now water under the bridge and they had already worked through it together and forgiven her .

" There's no need for you to keep apologizing, Carly ," insisted Robbie, kindly ," its over with and let's just forget it ever happened .'

A blush rose to color the young woman's cheek and was grateful they had forgiven her for her ganky behavior .Spencer was still reading her the riot act and if it hadn't been for Trina's interference in their brotherly /sisterly fight , it might have gone on for days .She supposed it was just one more new thing she would have to adjust to since Trina was moving in with Spencer and her brother did love the woman .

" Thank you, Robbie , I'll try " said Carly, hoping she could forge ahead finally .

Robbie debated with himself about whether a hug was feasible and if Cat might kill him but opted to play on the safe side . No hug for Carly .Much too soon .

Cat slid out from under his arms and surprised Carly with a hug of her own ." I'm sorry that I tried to kill you ," apologized Cat, softly ," I would have felt really bad if I'd actually managed to hit you with the lamp , Carly ."

After the Carly pursing Robbie had to led to a kiss , Cat had stopped crying and decided to literally fight Carly for her man, which included some scrappy fighting on the little redheads part , and items being thrown at the web show hostess. In the end , it had all worked out for the best and issues had been fully resolved .

Carly managed semi semblance of a smile ." I probably deserved it for going after your boyfriend ," admitted a wry Carly ," you've got one great guy there , Cat ."

Cat stole a glance out of the corner of her eye , Robbie was deep in animated conversation with Gibby Gibson , her smile, soft and dreamy . They could have just as easily broken up earlier this summer but a little space and Robbie courting her with sweet gestures, she felt like they had taken a step forward in their relationship . It wasn't so new anymore but what they had was very real and true love .

True love always prevailed with patience and perseverance .

" The best ," Cat tugged on her wrist ," Carly, you need to get past this awful Brad thing and give Gibby a real chance . He is so sweet on you and one of those good fells like my Robbie …."

Ever the hopeless romantic, Cat wanted all of her friends to be as happy as she and Robbie were and it couldn't hurt to give Carly a little nudge . The girl had some strange ways of thinking when it came to dating material with guys .

Carly stole a glance herself , Gibby caught her eye and his lips curled in a lopsided grin that had her feeling a slight ping . More pings with Gibby was so weird .

" Its Gibby ….maybe …things changed between us , I think "

" Trust your heart ," whispered Cat, with a conspirator wink ," it doesn't lie ."

Sam Puckett poked her head in between the girls ." Sometimes it does, Red, but in this case, I want to see where this new chizz is leading " Sam elbowed Carly, knowingly," Gibby's been making cow eyes at you all summer ." .

" Sam, that isn't helping me ! "

" Yeah, like you guys were so crazy about me and Fred wad getting together ," reminded Sam, casually, " Gibby's not so much of a GIBBY ..I say, try the dork out ."

Carly shot them both annoyed looks and stalked off to say her goodbyes to Tori even as she considered the possibility of her and Gibby being together ..

*******************************HEARTS******************************

Tori couldn't believe the summer was over or that she was heading back to L.A. without her big sister . This trip had been eventful in more ways than one as Trina had come to Seattle to model for Spencer and who who have or could have predicted that they would fall head over heels in love with one another ?

Certainly not this girl and as if things couldn't get any more insane , Trina snagged a job as a foot model for Fizzene Shoes , and now she was moving into the apartment with Spencer . It was unbelievable and if she hadn't seen the couple with her own eyes, Tori wouldn't have believed it to be true , but they were in love .

Her sister had actually gotten a real job and was talking about having a future with Spencer Shay . Oh boy, oh boy, what a crazy summer !

Thank God, she and Andre were the normal couple out of their bunch !

They knew exactly what they were doing , where they were heading, and how they were planning on arriving at said destination together .

Trina grasped her shoulders, giving her a little shake ." If you get bored , feel free to start packing up my room for me, " suggested Trina, hoping sadness and their sisterly bond might motivate her baby sister to help her with a little packing ," I imagine since Mom is upset with me , she might be already starting on it but it'd be cool. "

Tori gave her an exasperated look as if that was high on her list of priorities ." Or you could stop playing house with Spencer for a couple of days and drive back with us and pack up your own crap , Trin."

Andre stepped closer, murmured a warning in her ear ." Supportive, remember ?"

Tori ground her teeth together and knew he was right . " Fine but only if I am extremely bored ," allowed Tori, " and I am taking back all of my clothes that you stole from me and

Never returned ."

Trina just smiled ," Borrowed ."

Spencer came up behind her, wrapping his arms around Trina's waist and she gave him a joyful smile . " Trina has meetings with Ivy all this week and Socko and I are driving out of town to pick up parts for the new sculpture I just got commissioned to make ," explained a serious Spencer , " Trina and I want to try to drive out to Hollywood to get the rest of her stuff in a week or two . I know how important her stuff is to her ."

" Aw Spencer " Trina lifted her lips for a kiss and he obliged her .

" Oh good luck on the job ," Tori couldn't resist pulling Trina into a hug ," don't say anything you'll regret and lose it . I promise I will call or text you if I learn anything new about how Mom and Dads counseling is going .."

" Or if Dad changes his mind about divorcing Mom ' snapped Trina , who still was feeling a little bit of bitterness over Holly's affair with her Dad's partner, Gary , and their parents separation had been short lived . She blamed her mothers selfishness ," it could still happen ."

" Honey, I thought you were working on giving your Mom a chance " put in Spencer , quietly . He still feared that Holly hated his guts and while he wasn't really comfortable with that, he knew this whole situation with her parents made her truly upset .Trina didn't actually mean half of what she said but her mother had hurt her deeply .Playing peacemaker was new to him but parents were important .

" I'm trying, I was having a weak moment " shot back Trina, on a heavy sigh ." I never said I was perfect ! "

" Hey Spencer , thank Mrs. Benson for letting me and Robbie crash at her place ," cut in Andre , diverting the subject before the mood went down badly ," we appreciate it ."

" Sure or you could send her a thank you note "

" Take good care of my baby sister, Andre " burst out Trina , pulling Tori into her arms for a affectionate hug that took the wind of her ," I'm counting on you ."

Andre reached for Tori while Spencer pulled Trina away , separating the sisters , and sharing protective expressions . As different as night and day , the girls were still close and it was going to be a tear fest soon if one of them didn't interrupt the moment .

" I will ….come on, baby ," Andre propelled his girlfriend towards the RV," why don't we grab the good seats in this rolling chizz machine before Cat and Robbie do ."

" Beck's ugly couch isn't that comfortable " commented Tori , off-hand .

" So you want us to take the bed then ?' suggested Andre, flashing her a wide , sexy grin ," I wouldn't say no to that , Tori ."

" Just get in the RV, Andre " tossed back Tori, over her shoulder , waving at their friends as she dumped her oversized purse on the floor and deliberated between the floor, the hideous looking orange couch that Beck had liberated from the side of the road , and the bed . On the way to Seattle, she and Andre had shared the floor and after a few hours, you could feel every bump and pothole that Beck hit .

" I don't want to watch Robbie and Cat act all lovey and dopey for 6 hours , I wont be able to take it ," predicted Andre , placing his keyboard on the table and grabbing Tori around the waist ," I think its our time ."

Tori leaned into him and kissed him, deeply ." I plan on sleeping , Dre ."

" Sleeping, Tori," muttered a disgruntled Andre , " dang it ! "

**********************Hearts of Glass ***********************************

Trina thought she was being mature , she was 19 , after all, and starting her life on her own terms and with a new kick ass job and with the man of her dreams, she was one lucky woman but as she watched Andre herd Tori into Beck's stupid RV, she felt the beginning of tears forming behind her eyelashes . She didn't want to cry , it wasn't as if she wasn't ever going to see her sister again and it wasn't that far to Hollywood yet she felt incredibly sad .

" Trina, " Spencer's soft voice was in her ear as he held onto her shoulders, lightly ," its still awfully early , honey , how about we go back upstairs and go back to sleep ?"

Trina bit her lip, felt herself tremble and leaned into him ." I'm going to miss Tori and her stupid, annoying friends , Spencer ."

He dropped a kiss into her head ," I know and you'll feel better once you get more sleep ."

" I do need my beauty sleep .." murmured Trina, allowing him to lead her back inside the apartment building, and with one last wave at her sister , she let Spencer take care of her and decided this had been the most wonderful summer of her life .

She and Spencer were going to start a life together .

Beck and Jade stood together , not touching, but simply by each others side , coffee cups in their hands as they stared down Freddie and Sam as if none of them knew what exactly to say to one another . Beck and Jade had stayed at a hotel rather than at the Bushwell and there had been a short time it had been a clash against the groups .

Scissors versus the butter sock .

Cat versus Carly.

Best friends -well, the chizz had hit the fan in all kinds of wonked out ways between the whole Carly /Robbie/Cat debacle but it had all worked out in the end .

Beck broke the silence, extending a hand to Freddie ." Its been cool, guys ."

" It was an experience ," agreed a solemn Freddie ," next time, we'll have to come visit you guys in your neck of the woods ."

Sam rolled her eyes upwards , elbowing her boyfriend." Its freaking seven in the morning, Freddork, can the small talk so I can go back to bed ."

Freddie , her own dork in shining armor , sent her a withering look that she promptly chose to ignore ." Sam, I'll buy you breakfast if you be nice and tell our friends goodbye ."

Sam's eyes lit up at the sounds of breakfast calling her name and bacon . Maybe she was in the mood for some breakfast ham- ah who was she kidding, food was all good .

She yawned and met the steady gaze of Jade , who was drinking her coffee as if it was her lifeline and judging from how much coffee she had seen the wicked one drink, Sam figured it probably was her go to drink .

" It was fun plotting revenge with you , sorry we didn't get a chance to throw down ," said Sam, conversationally ," you know, me with the butter sock and you with those scissors of yours ."

" Maybe next time you'll let me have a swipe at Carly …."

" If I get to have a go with the Puppet Boy or Red ," considered Sam, ' I'm not picky ."

" And on that note ," Beck grabbed his girlfriends shoulders ," goodbye ."

Jade fixed him with a heated look ," Dude , Sam and I were making plans ."

" It is much to early in the morning for you two to be talking weapons and torture ," said Beck, kissing her temple ," Get in the truck, Jade ."

" Only because I want to , Beckett " Drinking her coffee, Jade climbed in the passenger seat of the truck as her boyfriend got behind the wheel ," let's go home ."

" This has been the vacation to beat all vacations " exclaimed Cat as she dropped her suitcase on the floor and settled down on the couch, patting the seat next to her for Robbie ," and Jade won a big prize for her play ."

Robbie tossed his bags beside hers and joined her , scooting close to put his hands around her waist as he contemplated his girlfriends analysis of their insane summer in Seattle .

" It has been a learning experience for sure ," added a solemn Robbie , glancing at the yellow pearl bracelet on Cat's wrist ," I feel as if it has helped our relationship for the better , dear heart ."

Cat smiled softly and kissed his cheek ." It was rough but I think we're really good ."

Andre and Tori shared puzzled expressions at their friends but didn't want to rock that boat . Robbie and Cat had survived their first real issue together and with a sticky , messy near break up and mistakes on both their parts, they were still together and in love .

It was a good sign and no sense in bringing up the negative , it wasn't important .

" Well, I can't wait until we get home ," announced Tori, resting her head against Andre ," a week until school officially starts and we are Seniors ! "

Andre took a sip of Wahoo punch and played the familiar foreboding opening notes from the movie Jaws , ignoring the baleful looks his friends were shooting him .

" Not ready for the back to school thing ," admitted the musician, all the serious ," I personally can use a vacation from our vacation ." He made a face as he thought of the ominous voicemail his father had left him that had him a little wonky ," and not really pumped about my yearly visit from my Dad . Think I'd rather play Love Boat bingo with my Grandma for a week than try to make small talk with the man ."

Robbie pushed his glasses up on his nose ." Love Boat bingo ?"

Tori shook her head at him , urging him not to question Andre about it . " Don't even ask, Robbie, its better that way ."

Tori placed a hand over her boyfriends and gave him a understanding smile ." It might not be that bad, Andre ," suggested Tori , helpfully ," who knows , your Dad just might miss you and want to spend time with you ."

Andre dropped a kiss on her mouth ." Baby, I love you, but you don't know how my Dad is and this whole mysterious thing he wants to talk about is bugging me ."

" Have a little faith, Andre " offered Cat , tracing hearts on Robbie's knee ," I can't believe we're all Seniors ! "

We will have to make it our best year ever " contributed Robbie, matter of fact .

" Oh yeah "

" Hey, I have an idea ," Cat snapped her fingers, voice high and excited ," why don't we sing a song ! I know just the perfect song for us …."

" I'd rather have pancakes , Lil Red , but betcha Beck wont stop until Jade needs more coffee or a pee break " groaned Andre, with a sigh ," though I would love to do all the music for a Senior play this year , that'd be cool ."

" You should talk to Jade about collaborating " tossed in Robbie , " she's been talking about writing a sequel to Love's Lament since she found out she won ."

" Not a bad idea, Rob, " Andre nodded his head, liking it ," I will do that ."

" Our music , we're a team, Dre ," Tori leaned her head on his shoulder ," not going to let you forget that ."

" No chance of that happening , Tori " Andre laid his lips on hers ," Andre and Tori "

" You guys , aren't you even curious about the song ? Come on, singing will be fun ," urged Cat, watching as they passed the tall buildings in Seattle ," it's a really long trip back to California . "

" What song, Cat ?" inquired a curious Tori, not wanting to hurt Cat's feelings . She was forever a cheerful morning person and it was a small space in the cramped RV . The trip had been eventful at the beginning and it was awfully close quarters and it was too early to be annoyed at one another .

" Friends forever "

" The Saved by the Bell song ?"

" That is like super lame , lil Red "

" No, its fun ," encouraged Cat, brown eyes imploring her friends ," Tori, come on, the words are so us ! I used to watch it on Saturday mornings with my brother when he was having therapy at the hospital ….pleasee, sing it with me ."

Tori bit her lip and nodded . It was true that she remembered when the Saved by the Bell gang had formed a band and the song was really catchy and a little cheesy .

" Okay , So, I might have watched the show with Trina ," confessed Tori in her own defense ," only because Slater was cute ! "

Score another point for the girls !

Cat pushed her red hair from her shoulders and humming to herself , brought the song to mind and began to sing, hoping she could get them to join her .She knew the guys were just trying to be all cool but they had to know the words of the song, too .

Even her brother, Steven, knew the words and he was much older than all of them .

" We met some time ago, when we were so young . We've been through thick and thin , we've lost, we've tied, we've won . Friends forever…."

Tori tapped her toes to the beat of the song and sending her boyfriend an apologetic grin, the singer picked up the next verse , caught up in the fun of the song that spoke of their friendships, relationships, and their expectations of the upcoming Senior year .

" With you, everywhere. Friends forever , always will be friends . If your down , I'll pick you up and I'll never let you fall ."

Grinning, Cat joined her on the chorus, beaming and nudging Robbie's shoulder with her own ." If you ever need someone , I'm waiting for your call . We'll be friends forever ."

Robbie looked at Andre, man to man, pointed at his pretty girlfriend and shrugged, adding his voice to the girls .

" We'll be friends, talkin bout friends ..always will be there . Will be there ..through thick and thin , through it all, hanging tough . We'll stay side by side "

Andre thought his friends were losing their minds from lack of sleep as he found the right notes, figured he might as well join the loons , because when it all came down to it, they were always his friends .

" We'll be friends forever , till the end of time . Always will be friends "

They survived the one crazy summer together but would they be able to survive what challenges their Senior year would throw at them ?


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer : I still don't own Hollywood Arts or Victorious

The drive home from Seattle was less drama filled than they had endured earlier that summer , exhaustion and the reality of what loomed ahead for the young adults weighed heavily on their minds . School was a week away and they were all Seniors .

They could rule the school and they had to look forward to all the traditional Senior events that had been passed down the not so hallowed halls of the performing arts school as well as preparing for college and big, scary life decisions .

Andre let his fingers walk over his keyboard, playing a riff , and shifted slightly as Tori moved in her sleep, trying to get comfortable and settled on her head in the crook of his arm. He grinned , thinking she looked incredibly beautiful and about as uncomfortable as heck . He knew she was already missing Trina and figured Tori would miss her big sister a lot more than she expected too, which was natural .

Those Vega sisters liked to fight and bicker but Tori and Trina were close .

" Pretty cool song " spoke up Robbie, quietly as Cat was curled up in his lap , sleeping ," it's new . Isn't it ? "

" Sort of ,I reckon, " admitted Andre of an idea he had for a mash up of songs for Tori ," I've been playing around with some lyrics since we got back together .She's gonna need major cheering up if she actually decides to go pack up Trina's room .."

Robbie rubbed his chin, thoughtfully ." Isn't it kind of funny how things turned out this summer ? I mean, who would have thought Trina almost running Spencer over with her car would result in them falling in love and her making such a spontaneous decision about her life with him ?"

Cat stirred, reaching for his hand and he brushed a strand of red velvety hair from her face, wondering if he could be as brave for love as Trina and Spencer . He loved Cat more than anything on the planet and Lord knows he truly believed they were meant for one another but he did better with plans , spontaneous always seemed to get him into trouble .

He had even trouble to last him for a lifetime .

" Freaky , this is true ," conceded Andre , rubbing his shoulder blades against the back of Jade's suitcase and felt Tori kick him ," Man, the woman is a restless sleeper ." He paused to wad up his jacket and place it under her head which had now hit Beck's ugly carpet ," but makes you believe in all the good things that can happen . I mean, if Trina can find the guy that is perfect for her and we both know Spencer is the dude then makes me feel like me and Tor can survive anything ."

Robbie pressed a kiss against Cat's temple and stared , intrigued , by his friends statement

" You had doubts about you and Tori ? I mean, you guys broke up over a kiss that I shouldn't ever mention again ," Robbie made a sheepish expression ," Beck . You two still managed to be friends after that and her folks separating and you've been great all summer together, Andre."

" Maybe a little , Rob," admitted Andre, lowering his voice ," I don't have the best track record with the ladies and one part of me , I guess , worries if things get rough, Tori will friend zone me so we don't ruin our friendship . That scares me ….."

Thank God, Tori was a deep sleeper and snoring like a freight train because that was the last thing he wanted her to know . He knew she thrived on a little bit of drama to keep things from getting dull but he didn't want to borrow trouble .

" That is the worse " said a solemn Robbie , who had personal experience in that department . Before he and Cat had fell in love with each other , he felt as if he lived in that zone on a daily basis until he decided to shake things up by asking out a North ridge girl and consequently , things had changed between him and Cat .

" You bet "

Andre glanced at Beck's television then realized he would have to move to find the remote and a grumpy Tori didn't sound appealing . He glanced at his friend out of the corner of his eye and grinned ," Wanna play some Grumpy Gerbils ?"

A hopeful smile formed around Robbie's mouth ," Galaxy Wars ?"

" Freddie is back that way, dude ," Andre gestured the other direction ," I've played enough damn Galaxy Wars with you this summer to last me a lifetime ."

" Fine , " Robbie pulled out his pear phone ," Grumpy Gerbils it is ."

*****************************HEARTS***********************************

" Jade ," Beck sat in the passenger seat of the truck , dark eyes on his girlfriend and the odometer as she drove , full, lush lips pursed in concentration," Babe, um, I know we're almost home but not really wanting a ticket before we get there ."

Jade liked to drive and enjoyed the speed and the control but she'd had a lead foot since their last pee break and he really didn't want to have to get a part time job to pay for a ticket . Or possibly wind up in jail if his girlfriend got mouthy with a cop .

He was actually really appreciative that Tori and Trina's Dad was a detective and not concerned with jade's driving habits or chose to overlook her . .

" Stop being a nervous ninny, Beck ," said Jade , taking one hand off the wheel to place on his knee ," I'm tired of being on the road and that sandwich sucked . I am starving and I figure we can dump Cat and Robbie off at her parents house first …."

Beck chose to ignore her snark because he knew she was simply tired from the drive and hoping to avoid her father once she got home . The man was judgmental and uptight and enjoyed playing mind games with Jade and even though he had showed up for Love's Lament with praise , neither of them figured for the mood to last .

" Not on a time crunch , " reminded Beck, twining their fingers together ," if your hungry , swing by the drive thru and I'll grab us some more food ."

" No, I don't want to waste time and this thing doesn't go through the drive thru ," Jade gestured to the truck that pulled the Rv ," you know , I've been thinking about Love's Lament a lot since I won and maybe I should work on a sequel to it or maybe something new . I really want my play to be in the Senior Showcase this year which means I need to start writing now, Beck ."

The Senior Showcase featured the best and the brightest out of all the classes at the end of the year and Jade wanted her screenplay to shine brighter than anyone else at Hollywood Arts . Love's Lament had showed people should could write more than just twisted , macabre tales and winning first prize in the Shakespeare festival hadn't been small potatoes, it was a big deal and she didn't want to squander her talent .

She had plenty of ideas and maybe this time she could play in a new time period , some magic and romance , a little mystery might be worth pursuing .

" I understand that ," said always supportive Beck ," but school doesn't start tomorrow , Jade, and you can start writing once we're back home and settled unless you want me to drive ?'

Jade shrugged her shoulders, rubbed the kink in her neck ." Are you trying to placate me , Beck , because don't even start or I will stop this chizz right now ."

Beck lifted his palms up , dropped them and fixed her with a tender look ." Not placating but your obsessing again "

During rehearsals for Love's Lament, his girlfriend had become the obsessive writer , rewriting the big love scene over and over then taking it out , only to change her mind the next day and put it back in which had only given a nervous Tori anxiety since her and Andre's characters got the pivotal scene .

Jade might be as tough as nails but her heart was wrapped up in her screenplays and it meant more to her than she let on . Beck knew this new idea of hers was a part of it and that she was still thinking about her future and college .

Their dreams and their future together .

She lowered her lashes , managed to let out a short breath, and without warning , pulled off the road , as Beck held on tight to the dashboard while their friends attempted to hang on tight in the back even as Tori rolled on the floor , hitting her head on the small table while Cat let out a tiny scream and held on tight to Robbie .

Andre caught his girlfriends leg and didn't let go as they came to a stop .

" What in the name of chizz is goin on ?"

" Are we hit ?"

" Where are we ?"

Tori rubbed her head ." Ow ! " She nudged Andre's hand away, righting herself to look out the window , noting a blowing tumbleweed with a sense of dread in her stomach ," I think we're in Shadow Park canyon .."

" Shadow Park ? " Robbie made a face ," Why would we stop here ?"

" Jade likes the park and the view " explained Cat , stretching her arms over her head ," I think its like twelve more miles till we're home from here ."

Andre heaved a sigh , watching as vultures circled something dead on the road and his heart became suddenly quite heavy. It made no sense that he would feel this way but it had been a long, long ride from Seattle and summer fun was nearly over.

It was sort of depressing , if you thought about it .

" Vacation is over . Damn "

*****************************HEARTS*******************************

Beck narrowed his dark gaze at her , almost afraid to ask ." We're not killing Tori and burying the body here no matter how much you want to , babe ."

Jade sent him a withering look that had less men quivering in their shoes but it didn't faze her boyfriend at all . He knew , though he would never fully understand, it was just how she dealt with her friendship with Vega . He just accepted it for what it was .

" Maybe next time, I wouldn't want to screw with Andre since they just got back together and all ," allowed a casual jade , who had a good relationship with the musician ," move over here. I changed my mind , you drive and I'll write, Beck ."

Maybe a historical romance story with deep drama , all the sap and good versus evil, could be fun to write . Cat and Robbie were decent with stuff like that and it might be fun to create characters with them in mind and she could so sell it to Sikowitz .There was no doubt in her mind she was going to get this new yet to be written play in the Senior Showcase even if she had to kill the other competition to do so .

" Shouldn't we tell the others why we stopped ?" asked Beck, changing spots with her .

" No, they'll figure it out ," decided Jade, pulling out her notebook ," drive , Beck ."

Beck drove .

A quietness lulled the gang as they gathered their things knowing twelve miles would go by fast and it did , it was hardly the end of the world but it was the end of vacation and the freedom they had had all summer long . A text from Jade informed them that the first stop would be dropping Cat and Robbie off at the Valentine house .

" This is us ," Cat picked up her pink suitcase ," we should spend tomorrow at the beach .together . What do you say ?"

" I'll have to check with Mom and Dad but works for me " agreed Tori, taking the seat the couple had vacated and stretching her legs out ." Last day to work on my tan ."

" Beach works for me " agreed Andre , taking a swig of water .

Jade laid her hand on the horn , annoyed, as Cat and Robbie stepped out of the Rv, laden full of their suitcases and trekked to the driveway of Cat's home , where Robbie's old convertible sat behind her Dad's trusty Volvo and her Mom's mini-van .

Cat let out a wistful sigh as their friends pulled away from the drive then at her boyfriend , who was unlocking his car and putting his guitar and suitcases inside . All of the lights were on inside the house so Cat knew that her parents were home and tiny , baby butterflies tap danced in her belly .

Did that mean that her brother was out of the hospital too ?

Robbie caught her hand and swung it , lightly ." Cat, what's with the sad face, sweetheart ? We couldn't stay in Seattle indefinitely unlike Trina, of course , and we did make good time with Jade driving this time around ."

Cat smoothed her lips in a thin line, ran her hands down her shorts, and reached for his shirt , resting her head against his chest , and felt him press a kiss against her hair .

He always knew just what to do to make her feel better .

" What if Steven isn't better ? What if they decided he needed more time at the special hospital while we were away and just didn't tell me ?"

" I don't know, Cat, but lets try to be positive ," Robbie tried to be practical without upsetting her as he knew she loved her older brother more than anything . His illness and treatment bothered his sweet girlfriend much more than she pretended it did ," the texts you got from your Mom said the new meds were helping him so lets focus on that . It isn't a bad thing for Steven , honey ."

Cat pressed her lips to his in a sweet kiss ." I love you, Robbie Shapiro ."

" I love you, too "

The door swung open, unrepentantly , startling the couple as Henry Valentine poked his head out of the door, surveying them , a old fashioned dirk in his hand and a befuddled expression on his face . Cat's father was a professor at the local college in town and was a tad on the eccentric side but Robbie thought the man was awesome and kind .

" Cat ! Robbie ! Celia and I were hoping that was you we heard ," Henry put an arm around his daughters shoulder for a one armed hug ," that is a noisy truck Beckett drives so are you kids going to make out on the porch for an hour or come in and eat ? "

Cat giggled and blushed ." You really shouldn't greet people with a knife in your hand, Daddy, its dangerous ."

" Also a little scary, Mr. Valentine " contributed Robbie, with a gulp .

Henry just shook his head , unfazed by the teenagers reaction to his new find .Caterina's boyfriend was just going to have to get used to his historical weaponry collection .

" Scottish dirk , young lady, and I got a steal on this baby at the flea market your mother and I went to," explained a good natured Henry ," Robbie , grab Cat's bag, come in and join us for supper before you go . Celia is making a new pasta dish with three types of pasta and Steven has been working on this ganache cake for three hours ."

Robbie hesitated but followed them inside , dropping Cat's suitcase near the stairs , and debated with himself . He'd had one text a day ago from his Mom wanting to know when he would be home and nothing since but he wasn't sure what that meant . Did she want him home now ? His Mother had been acting weird when he had left at the beginning of the summer and now he really wasn't sure what to expect . The not knowing wasn't always a good thing and could be uncomfortable for him .

He did know it would be more enjoyable with Cat's family as they were kind .

" Thanks, Mr. Valentine , I would love to but I should probably go home "

" Robbie , don't go," pouted Cat, pausing as the realization of her dads words hit her like a ton of bricks ," wait, Dad , did you say that Steven is here at home ?"

Henry simply nodded as he watched the joy spread across his daughters face as she hugged her boyfriend , recalling how broken hearted she had been when Celia had told her they were putting Steven back in the hospital at the beginning of the summer .it had been necessary for his health and the important thing was it had did him much better than before and given the family a new sense of home this time around .

" Steven really did an amazing thing , " explained Henry , placing the dirk on the table ," the new medicine has worked wonders for him . He's a little kooky every once and a while and we're keeping him close , just to be safe, but your brother is really doing much better ."

" Really ? I'm going to go see him now " Cat dropped a quick kiss on Robbie's mouth then darted into the kitchen, " Steven , I'm home ! "

" Caterina Ballerina ! " They heard him exclaim as Cat launched herself at him in a hug while Celia watched her children as she dabbed her wet eyes with the edge of a dishcloth.

Robbie shared a bemused look with Cat's father ." I'm really happy for your family ," replied Robbie, wishing his own was as caring as his girlfriends family ," and I know Cat needs to spend some time with her brother . If you could just tell her that I'll call her later, I'd appreciate it, sir ."

Henry placed a hand on his shoulder . " That's a thoughtful thing you are doing for my daughter, Robbie , and I appreciate that but there is no need to rush off . Celia will whack me with her new frying pan if I don't insist you stay and tell us all about the summer you kids had together so we can look back to our glory days ."

" Cat loves her brother ," responded Robbie , simply ," and as much as that sounds wonderful to me, I don't want to disappoint my parents by being late ."

" Alright , Robbie , another time then " replied Henry ," I understand . Tell your parents that Celia and I said hello …."

As he watched his daughters boyfriend climb into the convertible , Henry couldn't help but feel as if the Shapiro's put much too high expectations on their son , and Robbie was such a kind hearted young man .He didn't understand them at all .

****************************HEARTS************************************

Andre's Grandmothers house was the next stop , the ranch style home looked normal from the outside , the bird feeders flanking the doorway , the sunflowers and rose bushes vying for a place in the sun in Beverly's rock garden that was home to a colorful gnome family and a old fountain his Grandma had made him stop along the road and dig out of someone's trash . He thought it was on the side of gaudy and didn't go with her dorky gnomes but what could he say, she had old people's taste and she was old .

Grandma's house was nice and it was his home but he couldn't wait until he and Tori got a place of their own, an apartment sounded fine to him. They wouldn't need a big kitchen since he and Tori really didn't like to cook and it'd be cool to make it more modern .

" Grandma, I'm home " Called out Andre, dumping the suitcase on the living room floor and depositing his keyboard on the coffee table , pausing to lock the door so she couldn't wander outside and freak them all out .

He scanned the living room, expecting to find a mess since he had been away all summer and while the blue flowery couch was cluttered with several afghans and a stack of old Harlequin books, it didn't appear that any accidents had occurred on it or in the vicinity of it .Thank God!

The soap opera channel was blasting loudly on the television and he nearly tripped over an overflowing basket of laundry but it was the smells wafting, drifting from the kitchen and waking his taste buds that had Andre opening the door and joining his Grandma in the large room that had always been her favorite spot in the house .

" Grandma , what is this ? "

" Don't sass me , young man ," Beverly Harris wiped her hands on the bright yellow apron , pressed a kiss on her favorite grandsons cheek ," Did you have a fun summer ? I want to hear all about the fun you had during supper …I just put the noodles on and got the pork chops a going so I hope you are hungry ."

Andre noticed the sink was full of the unwashed bowls and cups she had used , a pitcher of lemonade sat on the old Formica kitchen table and rolls were rising on the window sill and he couldn't help the happy grin from forming across his face . He had been afraid he would come back to a disaster on the home front or his Grandma staying with his cousin J.J. and his wife but it seemed like she was having a good day .

" I'm starving ," Andre gave her a hug and caught sight of the apple pie ," oh my chizz, you made me apple pie . You feeling alright, grandma ? I leave you alone all summer and I come back and find you cooking up a storm ?"

" I am as right as rain ," chuckled Beverly , touching her newly curled gray hair ," I had me my own vacation while you went with your friends, Andre , and I even had my hair done at the salon with Marie ."

Andre rubbed his chin , trying to recall his grandmothers friends ." Who is Marie ?"

" Marie Valentine , " shooed Beverly, puttering around her kitchen , pulling out the butter ," your little friend , Caterina's Nona , of course . We had a grand day , we did ! I told stories of me and your Granddaddy and Marie told stories of her and her dear departed hubby ….made me feel young again ."

Andre had to sit and he attempted to comprehend this new information . His crazy Grandma wasn't freaking out and she was apparently having a good month - he was hopeful when she managed to have a good couple of days but this really sounded good .

He had felt a tiny bit guilty for going to Seattle but he needed to live and have fun with his friends and now his Grandma was having hair days and baking pies .

It felt almost as it did when he would come here and stay with her when he was a little boy , before she went crazy and lost her mind .

" I didn't even know you were friends with Cat's Nona "

" I met her at the market a couple of weeks ago ," answered Beverly ," now go put your suitcases in your room and wash up , you can help me peel potatoes ."

" Alright , give me a minute " Andre patted her shoulder , amused as he pulled out his cell to send Tori a picture and a text ," hand mashed potatoes are my favorite ."

Wait until Tori saw that his grandma was acting normal !

This was good , so very good !

He took a quick picture of her stirring noodles , sent it off to his girlfriend and made a beeline for his suitcase as the door to the guest room opened and Andre stopped in his tracks as a thin man dressed in jeans, a crisp blue suit jacket and a hat stepped in front of him.

" Andre "

Andre measured and took in the mans tight gaze ." Dad "

Neither made a move to hug or embrace in a manly like way, each taking in the other , waiting to see what the first move would be and who would make it .

' How was Seattle , son ?"

" It was cool, Stan " managed Andre , waiting ," I didn't expect you to be staying here , you usually stay at the Hilton or the Chambrulay hotel when your in town ."

Not that Stan made a point to stay in L.A. often , a day or two was more his speed , and always had been . Andre hadn't expected this visit to be any different but he was wrong .

" Mom asked me to stay ," replied Stan, casually ," and I had some business with some different labels while I was here so it has worked for us both . Andre, there are some important matters that you and I need to discuss and I was hoping that we could get them out of the way tonight ."

Andre understood that meant he didn't want to stick around town much longer -well, too damn bad, his Dad could deal with his schedule and he just got home .

" I just got home from my vacation ," stated Andre, challenging his father to fight him," I'm beat tired and Grandma's got a feast going which I'm gonna eat then go to bed .

Whatever you have to say to me can wait ."

Stan opened his mouth to argue then thought better of it as his son slammed the door to his bedroom . Sure looked like Andre wasn't going to make it easy on him .

************************HEARTS OF GLASS****************************

Tori lugged her suitcase up the walk and into the doorway , stopping to find David and Holly arguing in the living room while her mother went through the baby books and dread filled her insides . Why , why must they still fight ? She had thought they had been doing better with the couples counseling and the extra therapy and her Mom had moved back in the house before she and Trina had left for Seattle .

Were they trying to torture her ?

" We agreed to treat and respect Trina's wishes seeing as she is an adult now ," reminded David ," forcing her to do what you want her to do after our talk with her and Spencer is wrong, Holly . We have to let her live and fix her own mistakes …."

Holly shot him with a fierce look tinged with annoyance ." That was before we found out Spencer sets fires ! "

" He isn't a firebug or a criminal , Holly ," David groaned ," Spencer is fire prone like Trina is klutzy , honey . We are letting her do this and being supportive because I for one don't want to risk losing our daughter and we will if we push Trina on this ..she loves the man and from what I can tell, he feels the same way ."

" Trina has no sense and Spencer is a grown male '

" Shall I go back to Seattle and come in again ? This isn't the 'oh welcome home, Tori, I was expecting " voiced Tori , dropping her bag on the floor ," should I go stay with Cat for the night or is the next world war finished ?"

She had hoped the reconciliation had stuck but now they were giving her doubts .

Tori wasn't good with doubts and it had been such an awesome summer and Spencer had been cool about all of them staying with him . The Carly gank incident aside , it had been fun .

" Sorry, baby ," David gave her a big hug ," we're happy to see you and that you made it home in one piece .' He tugged her over to the orange sofa ," Your mother is just missing your sister .. I promise , we're not fighting ."

Tori stared skeptically at her parents ." It sounded like fighting to me ."

Holly lifted a cream colored baby bonnet from the book , holding it to her heart and sighed , mournfully .

" I had prepared myself for when Trina went to college and I thought I was okay with her choices ," said Holly in a low , sad tone ," I'm having a little bit more trouble letting your sister go than your father is , Tori , that is all ."

Tori pushed her brown hair off of her face and nodded . " You could call Trina, Mom "

It was an obvious solution to the problem but then her mother never really did things the simple way , which come to think about it , might be why both she and Trina tended to make things more dramatic than the reality really was . They should work on that .

" No, " Holly stared longingly at the telephone ," I cant do that , your father is right . Trina and I need to work on rebuilding the trust between us and that means I need to accept that she's shacking up with a artist in Seattle and is modeling fancy overprized shoes for a living instead of going to college ."

Tori picked up her bag off the floor , needing to escape to the privacy of her room before her Mom decided to start nitpicking her life , which she so didn't want to deal with right now . Holly had been in crazy Mom mode since her affair with Gary had came out in the open months ago and she wasn't sure if she really forgave her for hurting their dad and their family . She rubbed her temples and lifting her arms over her head , yawned .

" I'm just going to my room now ," Tori started towards the stairway ," tired , long trip ."

" Okay, Tori, but are you hungry ? Did you kids stop and eat ? I was about to heat up a pizza before your Mom started crying over your first tooth and your sisters bonnet "

Holly dabbed her eyes and closed the books ." He hasn't realized that we've been deserted by your sister and you'll be next, Tori ."

" Mom, I have my whole Senior year ahead of me ," reminded Tori, leaning over the banister ," not to mention, Andre and I are probably going to stay in California ."

David sighed ," The boyfriend …I am going to fix that pizza now ."

" Dad , you like Andre ! "

" Yes, yes, I do," agreed David, starting to feel old ," and now I'm going to fix that pizza, open a beer, and put on Ferris Bueller's Day Off and not worry about my daughters romantic lives ."

" Oh and we could watch Footloose too " contributed Holly, warming up to the idea .

" You two are hilarious but I will leave you to the lame movies of your generation ," called out Tori," I am going to unpack , text my boyfriend and go to bed ."

" You just saw Andre "

" Goodnight .." Shaking her head at her parents weirdness, Tori stepped in her bedroom, dropping the suitcase on the floor as she fell on the bed , clutching her pillow to her chest ," oh it is nice to be home ."

*******************HEARTS *******************************************

" Are you sure you wont come inside with me ," asked Jade , glancing towards the large window at her house ," save me from another judgmental lecture from my father ."

She had hoped dear, old Dad would still be in a meeting or screwing the receptionist or whatever he did that kept him away from his family for days and weeks on end . She and Mikey preferred it that way and she knew her mom was more relaxed without him .

" Your play just won a prestigious award , a hot shot Broadway director is interested in said awesome play, and a fantastic college is interested in us," pointed out Beck, giving her shoulders a little shake ," your Dad has nothing to judge you about , babe ."

She fixed him with a dark stare ." I'm sure the man will overlook all of that."

Beck folded his girlfriend in his arms and felt Jade visibly relax ." Your Mom and your brother are proud of you , I am proud of you, and hell, Sikowitz is even proud of you so who cares what that other man has to say , Jade ."

" I know ..I know ,' Jade growled , a low sound in her throat ," its just been so peaceful without all of his chizz and crap, Beck, and I'm not in the mood for it right now ."

Beck laid a kiss on her mouth ." I love you "

" Now you tell me …." Her red lips curved in a teasing smile ," I know I'm being stupid about this but its bugging me, Beck , I cant help it ."

" Well you could come home with me but my mother is fixing an old fashioned Brady Bunch supper and my presence is requested at the table as soon as I get parked in the driveway ," informed Beck, " I know you love mom's meatloaf ."

" Gross "

" Yeah, its not good ," Beck dove in for a long kiss ," go inside and let your own Mom gush over her daughter , the brilliant playwright , Jade ."

Jade wanted to argue but she didn't have a leg to stand on and Beck knew it . They both knew that Teresa was probably inside cooking all of her daughters favorite foods and there would probably be a lame banner because it was her mother .

She did love her Mom and realized she didn't want to disappoint her so she could handle putting up with her Dads insults and snarky remarks for the night .

" Yeah, I love you " muttered the raven haired young woman , grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulder ," call me later ."

" Will do " As Beck walked back to the truck , he heard the sound of jade's younger brother ,Mikey, loud and clear and had to shake his head in amusement .

" Mom, Jade is finally home ! Man, Jade, were you going to spend a freaking two hours kissing Beck in the driveway or what ?"

" Watch that mouth, jerk face " said Jade with affection .

Listening to them bicker , Beck felt as if he was leaving Jade in good hands with those that did love her and climbing into the truck, he dug around the front until he found what he was looking for - a half eaten Fat Cake .

It wasn't much, it wasn't even his favorite , but it would help feel him up .

Beck Oliver loved his mother too , even if her meatloaf was terrible .

****************************HEARTS**************************************

The house was unusually quiet as Robbie turned the knob, peering into the living room , expecting to see his parents watching the news and his father studying his business papers but there didn't seem to be any sign of his Dad . He wasn't sure if he should be relieved or not but it might have been nice, for a change .

" Mom " called Robbie , cautiously ," you in here ? Sorry I'm late but we dropped Cat off first and I chatted a few minutes with Mr. Valentine ."

Francine put aside the sweater she was knitting and stood , relief spreading across her face as she moved to kiss her only sons cheek ." I was expecting you much earlier , dear . Marissa Benson called and informed me you were a good house guest and what time you kids left from Seattle ."

Robbie bit his tongue , refusing to rise to the bait . He wasn't a little kid any longer and it was getting tiresome and quite old to be treated that way still . Though his Mom wasn't near as bad as Freddie's mom was but still they needed therapy or something .

" Well, traffic and Jade did take a different route home than Beck did ," explained Robbie , glancing towards the television where Knots Landing was playing ," it was such a great summer . I wish you and Dad would have came and seen the play , Mom ."

Francine patted his hand , her eyes focused on the glamorous Abby and sighed, wistfully , only half listening to her sons words as she glanced back at her peach colored pants and cream colored silk shirt and felt frumpy . Not that Robert would notice her appearance .

" Well, honey, you didn't have a starring role or anything ," chided Francine ," just behind the scenes technical stuff and that wasn't all that important . Besides your father has been swamped with work and hasn't really had the extra time ."

Robbie avoided the thrum of hurt caused by her words - it wasn't his Mom's fault, not really . She just repeated what her husband said and he knew they didn't really encourage his acting since he had gotten into Hollywood Arts , not that he was much of an actor , his talents lie in other creative avenues but writing didn't count either , obviously .

" Right , you and Dad were too busy for me ," muttered Robbie , feeling small ," but I bet that you cant wait till hear all about my trip . Right, Mom ? Some funny and also , um, exciting things happened while we were in Seattle .."

Francine glanced at the clock on the wall and wondered how late this meeting in Malibu would take her husband or if he would even bother to come home tonight at all . The man was obsessed with making money and his all precious work and she wondered if his new secretary was also on his lists of obsessions as he certainly wasn't giving her or Robbie any attention or affection these days .

" So , let me guess, Dad is still out of town "

Wasn't that the story of his life ?

" Up the coast wheeling and dealing as always ," sighed Francine , glancing at the cul de sac with something akin to longing in her tone ," Heaven knows what he is trying to buy into now, Robbie ."

" Cat and I are doing really well , Mom "

Frannie turned , lifted a curious brow ." You two are still together ?"

He blinked , surprised , behind his glasses ." Yes and why wouldn't we be , Mom ?"

" No reason , just a little surprised is all ," admitted Francine , smiling at him ," Cat is sweet but oh, I don't know, a little flighty is all but if your happy then so am I ."

Robbie didn't know what to make out of her thoughts of Cat but chose to leave it be . Clearly his Mom was in a weird place of her own and with Robert still on business, she was distracted . He knew that she liked his girlfriend and that was all .

" I am very happy ," Robbie placed a tentative hand on her arm ," Mom , are you alright ? I thought you would be happy to see me but you haven't stopped watching whatever it is that your watching since I got home …."

" Of course I am thrilled my baby boy is home from his vacation , dear ," said Francine ," and I do want to hear about it , maybe later . You know this is what your father really wants - and the reality is that this is a soap opera and we aren't living it ."

Robbie knew he should have stayed with Cat and her family , this wasn't the happy family time he had been hoping for . He shouldn't hope on them happening .

Maybe if he was visiting his Grandparents or Uncle Bruno and Aunt Doris, definitely .

" I have no idea what you mean, Mom "

" Robert wants an Abby of the gorgeous hair and legs but he has me ," informed Francine , sitting back down in her chair ," the Valene of the Shapiro women ."

Feeling uncomfortable with the topic of conversation, Robbie gestured towards his room eager to get to it and some privacy .

" I'm going to call Cat ," said Robbie ," I'll just be in my room ."

Robbie lugged his suitcase and guitar in his bedroom, happily shutting the door behind him and falling on the bed , turning to stare at the smiling picture of he and Cat on the wall .

" It's really good to be home " .

.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer : I don't own Victorious or Icarly or any other DS related characters that might wander about on their own accord .

It's a cruel , cruel summer , leaving me here on my own "

Tori grabbed her beach towel stuffing it in her beach bag along with her sun tan lotion, sunglasses, wallet , cell phone , and craned her neck over the stair railing to find Holly in the kitchen fixing breakfast and being all in a good mood .

Which put Tori on defense , her Mom had many moods but cheerful wasn't often one of them , neither was singing off key .Dad, maybe , when he was in a good mood after solving a case or helping her and Trina out but Mom was a nope .

" Mom, your singing ," Tori threw her bag on the sofa and moved to join her in the kitchen, pausing to see what was in the skillet ," why ? What ? "

She moved to the fridge , pulled out the orange juice carton, gave it a shake before opening and chugging it .

" Tori , that isn't ladylike ! " admonished Holly , " and I am singing because your sister called to check in this morning ." She paused , added tomatoes from the garden into the skillet ," I am making you an egg white omelets with fresh veggies ."

" Thanks, Mom ," Tori grabbed a mushroom , nibbled on it ," you should sing more often .if it makes you want to cook ." She tossed the empty carton in the trash ," There wasn't enough juice in there to waste a glass "

Holly rarely cooked for the family or the girls - occasionally family pot pie , but usually tori and Trina wound up fending for themselves for meals . Which meant a lot of take out, delivery, and quick , easy food that didn't take much time .Neither girl enjoyed cooking or baking but they had to eat.

" Trina has a full day of foot modeling today it seems and Spencer has an interview with a client ," went on Holly, flipping the omelet onto a plate and placing it in front of her daughter ," This is hopeful , I was afraid your sister would blow this opportunity but that's here nor there . Its sunny and bright out , a good day for the beach ."

" Awesome " Tori glanced around the room ," where is Dad ?"

" He left for the station an hour ago ," informed Holly , taking a drink of her coffee," and I need to get into the Gallery but I wanted to fix my baby girl breakfast ." She patted her hand ," Is Andre picking you up this morning ?"

" No, " answered Tori on a sigh ," Robbie and Cat are picking me up then we're going to grab Andre then go to the beach. Beck and Jade are meeting us at Venice Beach ."

" Well , don't forget to watch your back , turn over and don't forget sunscreen " said holly , " I don't want you to roast , Tori ."

Grabbing her leather purse , Holly headed to the garage still singing about that cruel summer and had her daughter dig out her pear phone to Google the song .

" Banana-rama ? Wow , that is a weird name for a band " muttered Tori, digging into her breakfast with gusto and figured she had another half hour before the lovebirds decided to pick her up. She could watch some Celebrities Under Water and text Andre while she waited .

She really needed to get her license this year , she was a Senior , after all .

Really she couldn't be that bad a driver - Trina was a horrible driver and she passed her test the first time . If the DMV could give a license to Trina then she could get one too.

Maybe she could talk Andre into letting her practice driving in his new car .

She grinned , Andre could never resist her .

***********************HOG***********************************

Jade hated chores almost as much as she hated her Dad , ducks and carpet and usually worked ways to avoid doing them or conning her little brother into doing them for her .

Mikey blew thru allowance faster than Cat bought all of that girly stuff so it was never a hard sell but today the old man was on Teresa's case big time and over stupid chizz .

Her father was an asshole, plain and simple, but her Mom didn't deserve his crap .

None of them did , which is why she was loading up the dishwasher and making her brother pick up their dirty clothes to start the laundry .

Not her regular morning routine but Jade was feeling generous towards her Mom .

Thank God , the old bastard had taken his coffee to go and left to go screw his secretary or screw over another business or whatever the hell he did every damn day .

Teresa came into the kitchen, eyes red rimmed from crying, and a pile of suits across her arm and found her daughter ready for the beach in a black bikini and shorts , wiping down the sink with vicious flourish. .

" Jade , honey, what are you doing ? I thought you were meeting Beck to go to the beach ," urged Teresa , " leave that mess , I'll get to it ."

" Helping you out so the asshole doesn't call me lazy and worthless ," mumbled Jade , sarcastically ," Mom, you don't have to take his shit . You shouldn't …he's not worth it ."

Teresa closed her eyes, breathed in, breathed out , and cupped her daughters cheek .

" Your father just gets unreasonable after a long trip , you know how he is ," Teresa tried to make light out of the travesty that had become her marriage ," it will be fine now stop doing chores that you hate and go soak up the sun ."

Jade arched a dark brow and let the subject drop, for now ." Don't start with the Sheryl Crow , Mom, and you really suck at singing ."

Teresa rolled her eyes and gave her opinionated daughter a one armed hug ." Go play in the sun with your cute boyfriend "

" Mother " said Jade , picking up her oversized bag and shades off the kitchen table and strode out to her car . Beck's house was a couple blocks and she felt like driving , and they had enough sharing time in his RV for a while now .

Beck's family were the only normal ones out of the whole bunch of them and his Mom had finally stopped hating her so that was something good . The sun was beaming down on her face as she slid into the front seat of her car and turning on the radio as the cool voices of BTR sang Elevate and it soothed her skittish nerves this morning .

Her mom wasn't just a housewife , she had been an actress back in the day and Jade couldn't understand why she didn't get back into it . Mikey wasn't at the gross , sticky age and didn't need a babysitter all the time and it would help rebuild Teresa's confidence if she got a role or something .

Jade was working on the smoothest way of bringing the topic up to her mother as she pulled into the Oliver driveway as Beck was walking out of the house with his father , Byron Oliver . Beck's Dad was long and lean with wavy ink black hair and a dazzling smile , laid back and casual , and side by side , one could tell they were like father , like son, right down to the well worn, old jeans , grey tee shirts, and flannel shirts rolled up to the elbows. They looked straight out some old 1980's movie .

It was always reassuring .

" All I am saying is it's a job, Beck ," stated Byron, leaning against the side of the Silver Streak RV ," you're a Senior this year , an adult , and I know you have plans you need to be thinking about and Jed would be willing to work around your school hours and plays ."

Beck scratched his brow , thoughtful. " The money would be nice and New York is expensive , I'll think about it , Dad ."

" Hey " Jade approached the men and slid her boyfriend into a easy kiss ," what is your Dad conning you into doing, Beck ?"

Byron smiled , eyes crinkling around the corners and shook his head ." No conning, Jade , just a job offer at Jed's Garage , if my son wants to put his mechanical skills to use ."

Byron heaved a sigh , looked back towards the house with resignation ." I'd best get back inside and make my own con on Jill or else I get stuck cleaning the garage ."

" Good luck with that " called out Beck, slipping an arm around Jade's waist ," so, do I need my car keys, babe, or are we taking your car ?"

" I can drive ," jade said , peering up at him through dark lashes ," you thinking about working for your uncle or what ? Hmm, you like to play under the hood of a car and your good at it but I don't know if I like all the women that will be throwing themselves at you for an oil change ."

" Jade ," Beck gave her a pointed look then grew serious ," come on, it wouldn't be a bad job . No free food or anything but the money would be decent and I'm on my own once we graduate . Gotta be on my own and pay my own way . "

" Well , Andre is still working in the mall and a mechanic is less lame than serving yogurt to brats ," muttered Jade as they got back into her car and pulled out onto the highway towards Venice Beach ," I think you should take the job ."

Beck craned his neck to stare at her , utterly surprised ." I thought you would be against me having a dirty job ."

Her red lips curved in a sultry grin ." Well, we can always shower together ."

Beck squeezed her knee and nodded . Jade's winnings from the play would pay for the first year of college and there were scholarships out there and Seattle had opened a lot of doors for her future . Not to mention they had talked and fought , debated over their plans for a future together but he sensed now wasn't the time to bring that back up again .

They had only been back home for a day and he figured judging from her mood , her Dad must have been his usual bastard self .

He tugged playfully at the circle necklace they both wore , a symbol of their love to one another and felt her relax .

" Works for me "

" It always does , Beckett " teased Jade , slipping on her shades to cover her eyes as the wind whipped through her black hair and she let her cares fade away to the day .

***************************Hearts **************************************

" How was the meeting , dear ," brought up Frannie , pouring freshly squeezed juice into a juice glass ," I thought I would fix us a nice big breakfast and we could eat as a family . Catch up with how our sons summer was before we all start our day …"

Her husband had rolled into bed very late last night without a word or so much as a kiss goodnight and had showered and changed this morning at an early hour so Francine decided if she could just keep Robert in the kitchen for a little well, it might help .

Robert scowled and drank the juice. " I have golf at ten in Santa Barbara to discuss a very profitable idea if I can make it happen ," said a smug Robert ," Robbie needs to stop all this artsy nonsense with those friends of his and start thinking about his future , the boy could intern with me , learn some skills and some hard earned money for his future ."

Frannie held her tongue, made a show of flipping the hot cakes over on the griddle and pasted a smile on her face .He was always so hard on Robbie and she always felt as if she was stuck in the middle between father and son .

" You were just in that area , Robert," said a mindful Frannie ," and it's the weekend . I thought you and I could spend the day together while Robbie is at the beach ..I could even go with you ."

They had stopped doing things together as a couple and she found she missed it .Robert spent more time in his office even when he was at home than with her .

" I'm trying to get in on some new markets, Francine ," replied Robert , pulling his dark blue jacket from the closet ," make the business more successful so that you can buy those designer clothes you like so much ."

" I would like to spend time with you, dear "

" Another day perhaps " said Robert , kissing her cheek ," you hate golf and you would be bored out of your mind . I am fortunate enough to even get this meeting …a friend of a friend and I had to call in favors to meet with the man ."

" Good morning " Robbie sang out as he made his way into the kitchen, weary of the conversation he had overheard between his parents ," I thought I smelled pancakes."

Frannie slid a plate of them on the table ." I made breakfast "

" Thanks, Mom ," replied Robbie , taking a drink of juice and hazarding a look at his father . Suit and khakis so had to be wheeling and dealing Saturday ," Hi Dad "

" Robbie ," said a curt Robert , taking in his sons shorts and tee shirt with disdain ," your mother tells me you are off to the beach with your friends today . Don't you think it's a little irresponsible considering you kids just came back from a vacation ?"

Robbie put his fork down, appetite gone and felt the pit settle uncomfortably in his belly .He was going to have ulcers before he was 20 .

" School is next week , Sir , and one last beach party before ," managed Robbie ," I don't think its irresponsible at all . " He ignored the disappointment in his fathers eyes and moved forward ," Seattle was good . Jade's play won first place , she won money and a pretty cool scholarship she can use towards any college which is way cool for her ."

" I'm sure that Phillip was overjoyed with this " remarked Robert , sarcastically ," but then I wouldn't let my daughter parade around in those ridiculous black outfits and have piercing in her body ."

Jade would be thrilled you weren't her Dad 'was on the tip of Robbie's tongue but to be disrespectful and rude would earn him a punishment from hell so he kept his thoughts to himself . Besides his father barely liked any of his friends and only tolerated them .He hardly acknowledged Andre and he , Beck, and Andre had been best pals since the second grade . Jade probably wouldn't care anyhow .

Instead, Robbie shoved pancakes in his mouth, chewed , and couldn't wait to get his girlfriend and their friends and get as far away from this house as was possible .

Robert checked his Rolex and tucked the paper under his arm ." Robbie , I am looking into several internships for you this year," brought up Robert ," from my own firm as well as some collegeaus of mine . We will discuss it and your future one evening when I am not so busy …now I am off , wish me luck ."

Before Robbie or his mom could come up with a suitable response , the man was out of the door , always on point, always business , always gone , 24/7.

" I am really not into the whole cut throat business mentality thing like Dad "

Frannie poured herself a cup of coffee and sank to the vacant chair with a sad sigh of her own .

" Business is secure , its safe, it's the family ," replied a dour Frannie ," and it would certainly help you more than a life as a comedian, young man ."

Robbie blinked at his own mother , baffled ." Mom, I got rid of Rex , " reminded Robbie , a touch of anger in his tone ," I changed my mind about the comedy, not that I suck at being funny because I can be funny but I am leaning towards being a writer , I think ."

Francine patted his hand , absently ." That wont make your Father happy, dear ."

" Nothing makes my dad happy, " Robbie pushed back from the chair ," I've got to go pick up Cat and my friends . You can be disappointed in me behind my back when I leave for today's fun, Mother …"

Robbie grabbed his beach bag and keys and couldn't escape the tension fast enough .

******************************Hearts **********************************

Walking on Sunshine blasted cheerfully from the old fashioned radio in the Valentine kitchen as the family cooked breakfast together with Celia scrambling the eggs, Cat serving the fruit while Henry turned the bacon as Steven sat the table , it had the making of a happy morning and all was well .

" Honey, why don't you put the tea on , " suggested Celia , whipping up the eggs with flourish and a pinch of dill for flavor ," it feels like a minty kind of day ."

Henry looked longingly at the coffee pot , yearned for his caffeine , but followed his wifes lead with the calming teas . He didn't expect Steven to be unstable over some java but he knew it was a precaution and Lord knows Celia didn't drink the stuff and Cat was hyper enough without the jolt of caffeine .

" Mom is feeling mellow this morning ," Steven kissed Celia's cheek, affectionately ," though its almost 91 degrees this morning so I think I'll take my tea on ice ."

" I suppose ," murmured Celia , glancing at Cat , who was dressed for the beach this morning in a bright pink polka dot bikini and a pair of white shorts ," Caterina , didn't I buy you that beach cover up ?"

" The mumu ? " mumbled Cat, averting her eyes and not wanting to hurt her moms feelings ," um, yes, but its awfully bright and doesn't really go with this suit ."

Celia reached to fill a plate ." It wasn't a mumu "

" It did look like one Mrs. Roper might have worn, dear, or my mother ," added an amused Henry of their thrift store find ," though it couldn't hurt , young lady , if you wore a shirt over that . I trust your Robbie but he is still a guy and that is a bikini ."

Cat turned three shades of pink and lowered her lashes ." Robbie is a gentleman "

" We know , Cat, but he is still a dude ,' this came from her brother ," add in that ole Robbie Shapiro is madly in love with you , Sis , and his eyes are gonna be bugging out of his face when he sees you in that ."

" It's a bikini and you know , Robbie has seen me in a bikini a million times before " rattled off Cat , embarrassed ," have you all been out in the sun too long ? "

" We haven't seen you all summer ," Steven held a plate as his Dad tossed some strips of bacon on it ," cut us some slack ! Besides I haven't had a chance to tease you about your sweetheart in forever since I was at the hospital ."

Celia stopped cooking and looked expectantly towards her husband , and Henry moved to place his arms around her in reassurance . They had done the right thing for their son and what he needed but it was still difficult wondering of their choices they had made .

Steven sat his plate down and stared at his family ." I am perfectly okay, you guys ," explained Steven, not mincing words ," I'm not going to have a meltdown and freak out on you . Can we please get back to humiliating Cat , please ?"

A tiny giggle escaped Cat and she covered her mouth with her hands ." Or we could just eat breakfast and talk about your day , Steven ."

Steven nibbled on a piece of bacon and a healthy dose of his sisters juice ." While you are having fun , I will be out scouring the town for a job ."

" Honey, I don't know if that's such a good idea ," muttered a hesitant Celia ," maybe you should wait a little bit longer …"

" Mom, you worry too much," told Steven , " I'm good . I'll be better when I'm cruising the coast , waxing surfboards or selling old clothes or junk , something cool that also brings me in some cash so I am not mooching off you two ."

" Just don't down any lace ," said Henry , drolly ," your mom and I grew up on that movie and it's a memorable line ."

Steven was sheepish ." I might however drink some brews "

" I think I hear Robbie " Cat carried her plate to the sink , blew a kiss at her family and collecting her beach bag, sailed out of the house to greet Robbie up the sidewalk .

Robbie pulled in with Tori in tow in the backseat of the convertible , waving at her as Cat climbed in the front seat next to her boyfriend .

" Hi " Cat called cheerfully as she leaned in for a sweet kiss ," I didn't think you would ever get here this morning , it is a nutcase with my family."

" Good or bad ?" inquired Robbie, reaching for her hand to hold .

" A little of both or maybe my folks are just nervous about Steven ," admitted Cat , noticing the wariness in her boyfriends brown eyes ," how are you ?"

" Ready for a day at the beach " Robbie managed a smile . He didn't want to bring everyone down and really it wasn't as if it was new news that his Father found him not held to his high , lofty standards ," Let's grab Andre and hope the freeway isn't a mess ."

Tori lifted her shades ." Well, I think something strange must be in the air, Cat, because Mom was actually cooking me breakfast this morning . Trina called her which put her in a weird mood and I got an omelet that was especially made for me ."

" How is Trina doing ?" inquired Robbie , turning another block in the direction of the Harris house , listening with a half ear at the girls conversation .

" Working, I guess, I didn't talk to her ," shrugged Tori, ignoring the pang in her chest that was a reminder that she missed her big sister ," all I know is Mom isn't going psycho for a change ."

" I don't like that word, Tori ," says Cat in a quiet voice ," nuts sounds nicer ."

Psychotic and mental had been terms used in regards to her brothers well-being and even though he was acting normal , she didn't want to dwell on depressing terms . Not that Tori's Mom wasn't crazy sometimes because she was a bit nutty .

" Sure " agreed Tori, as they parked in the driveway of the brick style home that belonged to Andre's Grandmother ," I'd better go see if Andre needs rescuing …he hasn't texted me back in like five minutes ."

She bounded out of the car and lightly knocked on the door then waiting a second, let herself in ." Andre , we're here "

She found herself in the living room with a handsome looking older man who could only be Andre's Dad . She had seen pictures once and it was a rare occasion. Andre had been trying to help her adjust to her parents dicey situation and he had shared his own thoughts about his parents not so long ago .

Tori waved then lowered her hand ," Um, hi, I'm here for Andre ."

" He's putting the dishes up for Mom ," explained Stan, appraising the beautiful young woman ," Dre will be out in a minute . You must be my sons girlfriend ,Tori , am I right ?"

" Hi Mr. Harris , its nice to meet you "

" Your even prettier than the pictures I've seen of you," replied Stan , " my son has good taste indeed ."

Tori nodded , uncomfortable and sent another text to Andre . " Thanks "

Before she could give in to making mindless small talk , the kitchen door swung open bringing in Andre and hot in his heels was Beverly , her gray hair in rollers and a pink housecoat made her outfit .

" Are you sure you don't need us to drop you off at the beauty salon, Grandma ? I don't know if its such a good thing for you to drive …" He was pleased that her behavior hadn't changed from the night before but that didn't mean anything, she could just be having a good couple of months or her meds were working or she didn't mix the pills up for a change . He was afraid to question it but he wanted her safe , too .

He was home now and Grandma was his responsibility .

" Andre , I've been driving a long time and if Stan isn't busy, he can run me down himself ," explained Beverly, taking out a curler and smiling widely at Tori ," and good morning, Tori , so nice to see you and my Dre are back together again ."

Tori opened her mouth to speak then grinned at Andre ." Yeah, we're pretty happy we got back together , too "

" You kids have fun and don't get in water after you've had lunch for forty -five minutes ,' declared a protective Beverly ," some say half hour but I always believe you want that food to settle a little longer ."

Andre grabbed his backpack ," I'll be home later ."

" Andre , we still haven't really talked .." trailed Stan, hope in his face though the creases and lines in his face gave way his tension that he was feeling . He had waited too long between visits it would seem and now his son was running off quick as a jackrabbit .

Well, he should have known it wouldn't be easy .

" Later " called Andre, grabbing Tori's hand and practically dragging her from the house , slamming the door loudly behind him ," It can wait until later, Dad ." .

" Andre , your Grandma didn't call me girl ," said an excitable Tori, slapping his chest , lightly ," Did you hear her ? She called me Tori …and she knew who I was this time ! "

Andre pulled her in for a slow kiss and rested his forehead against hers . " I know , baby, I know ," replied Andre , realistically ," I don't know if Grandma is taking her meds the right way or if she is just having a good month . I haven't talked to her doctor and I really don't want to jinx it ….."

Tori accepted his thoughts for what they were and dropped a kiss on his mouth .

" So your Dad seems ..uh, nice ? "

" Dad has his charming moments , Tori, I wouldn't get used to it ," explained Andre ," I try not to . He wants something from me but I don't know why he is tip toeying around asking me about it ." He shook his head as if dismissing the worry ," I don't want to talk about this anymore , lets just get in the car ."

Venice Beach awaited them .

********************************Hearts of Glass **************************

Though L.A. and Hollywood was still having the last of the summer heat wave, Venice Beach seemed to be the hot spot for slightly cooler temperatures , even if that still meant a whopping ninety two degrees in the shade , families and teenagers alike were taking advantage of it . The beach was starting to fill up though it was only almost ten in the afternoon , a family sat near the waters edge , roasting hot dogs on a tiny grill and watching their toddler and six year old play in the sand while a couple of well dressed Hollywood Moms jogged by as Jade spread the blanket on the ground while Beck hauled the cooler near his own chair as they waited for the others to show up .

Beck removed his tank, tossing it in the vicinity of their beach bag and watched with appreciation as Jade stripped down to her black bikini, mindful of his hungry gaze and turned her head, red lips curving in a taunt .

" Finished ?"

" Never " Beck reached out , bunching a fist in that dark hair and captured her mouth in a hot, hungry , open -mouthed kiss , hands finding soft skin as she looped a leg around him to pull him down on her , heat and needs overtaking them .

She slid her leg down his and felt him moan against her throat and Jade cursed herself for not wanting the privacy of his stupid Rv at this moment . She and Beck were all for adventurous sex and they could be creative but damn, it was broad day light and she didn't want them arrested for having sex on the beach in front of old people and little kids . .

Beck found the strings of her top and untied it , tasting the warm skin, beneath as he cupped her breast , massaging it through the thin fabric as Jade moaned in a throaty voice , yanking him closer to her , wanting more as she took his mouth .One touch is all it ever took between them to start the fires burning .

" God, I love you "

" Oh my God ! "

" I think my eyes are burning ! "

" You do realize you could get arrested for having sex on this beach "

Beck let his face fall , resting against Jade's chest, and tried to calm down his arousal and the need to murder their friends for their impeccable timing . He blew out a breath and looked up at the embarrassment written across all of their faces .

Cat had her pretty face buried in Robbie's chest, while Robbie 's ears were flushed red , and Tori had turned her back on them , while Andre just shook his head , amused . .

" You guys should bring a big umbrella or put up signs to warn us when your having the hot beach sex " Andre couldn't resist the jab ," Impressive but not Peeping Tom here ."

Jade refasten her top and handed Beck a towel to cover himself until he calmed down .Which might take a few minutes , she figured .

She smirked and finding a bottle of water tossed it at Andre , who ducked , and it nailed Tori lightly in the shoulder .

" Beck and I like the physical , Andre ," Jade couldn't resist ," maybe you and Tori should try it sometime ."

Andre nodded , chuckling at her appealing suggestion but knew Tori wasn't quite there yet in their relationship . " Well….maybe ."

" Andre ! " Appalled and slightly mortified , Tori shot a murderous look at her boyfriend as she made a show of arranging her bright blue blanket on the sand and stepping out of her flip flops .

" I never said a word about our love life , Tori," said Andre , " but I'm still a dude , I'm entitled to agree with Jade on this topic ."

" Gross "

" Is it necessary to suck all the romance right out of this morning ? " cut in Cat, as Robbie helped her spread their colorful blanket on the other side of their friends . She wanted to be closer to her boyfriend, feel much closer to him yet it was a conversation they hadn't had since the Carly incident had gone down over the beginning of the summer .

Their timing hadn't felt quite right and now Cat was unsure herself on where she and Robbie stood on the new level of intimacy between them . Unlike Beck and Jade , she and Robbie were treading on new territory and she felt it should be private as well .

" Love and sex go hand to hand, Cat " informed Jade , sitting up to find her sunscreen and handing the bottle to Beck who seemed to be meditating or debating about an icy , cold shower . Which seemed more feasible to her .

" Anyone up for a swim ? " interrupted Robbie , eager to change the topic ," doesn't look to bad in the water …"

Beck dropped the towel and dragged a hand through his black hair ." I'm in "

Not waiting to see who would be joining him, he sprinted into the waves , diving under and resurfacing , feeling less horny and much more in control . He glanced around and found both Andre and Robbie had joined him, just kind of treading water and hanging out .

" Sorry we killed your sex between you and jade " said Andre , plainly ," you really got to invest in one of them dang privacy umbrellas , man ."

" Busy morning, I wasn't thinking ," admitted a wry Beck ," slap me , dude ."

Robbie heaved a sigh , almost regrettable ." Cat would slap me and never speak to me again if I brought up sex, I think , but then I don't know because a couple of times in Seattle , I ..she wanted us too but now I don't want to pressure or push her ."

" I don't know, Rob, you know Cat better than us ," brought up Beck, " take your cues from her . Sex has never been an issue for me and Jade .."

" If it makes you feel any better , Robbie ," chimed in Andre ," Tori isn't wanting to , yet, so , I'm not ..I feel you, man ."

All three young men sighed overly-dramatic sighs of resignation then shared doleful expressions as if to put an end to this conversation and not go there

" Want to race ? " offered up Beck, gesturing towards the water farther out .

" Yuperdoo "

" Your on "

In a flurry of arms and legs, sprays of water , the friends tried to out swim each other .

Tori bunched up an extra towel , added it to Andre's other towel and leaned back , adjusting to get comfortable as she examined the sunscreen and took a long gulp of water , her eyes drawn to her boyfriend hamming it up in the water with the guys .

He looked like he was having fun out there which was a good thing .

" Argh ! Vega, stop it , already before I cut you " threatened Jade , glaring at the antsy girl beside her ," just stop and tan already ! "

Tori dumped a handful of sunscreen in her palm, vigorously applying it to her legs and arms , wishing she has asked Andre to rub it on her instead . Her mistake .

" I am, I am ," Tori let out a shaky breath," I'm just bugging about Andre and you know , him not wanting to talk about his Dad is weird , you guys . "

" How is it weird ? " inquired Cat, who was taking her time applying her own lotion ," I didn't think Andre was close to his Dad "

" He isn't " volunteered jade , who knew this as a fact . She and Andre had always been able to talk and relate to one another about their fathers and knew if he was being close-mouthed about the old man, he had his reasons .

" I know Stan is never around for Andre ," insisted a worked up Tori ," but I'm his girlfriend and I don't know how healthy it is for Andre to keep it bottled up either ."

Jade tossed another bottle of water at her , annoyed ." You want us to bug you about all of your parents chizz ? Andre will tell you about Stan when he wants to and clearly now he doesn't want to so don't be an idiot , Vega ."

Tori settled back against the towels and shook her hair from her shoulders .

" No, and stop being right ," grumbled an annoyed tori ," like it better when your just plain mean instead, Jade ."

Jade flashed her a slow grin , the edges of her lips curving oh so slightly in her classic 'evil' look she had mastered to perfection . It always worked to scare .

" I can do mean "

Cat turned over on her stomach ." Will you two stop it ! " She gathered her red hair up and pulled it into a ponytail ," I think my family thinks that Robbie and I are.. That we are ..you know .." She lowered her voice to a whisper .." Having sex "

" Which we aren't , as you both know , and they all adore Robbie ."

" Your folks are cool, Cat," dismissed Jade , non-plussed ," talk to Celia about it and she'll believe you or you and the nerd can get busy at it ."

Cat blushed pink and averted her eyes ." Jade ! "

" Cat , stop whining ," remarked Jade , knowing her best friend had a reason for her pitiful whining ," stop it . We did this in Seattle - if you changed your mind and you want to be closer to Robbie then you have to tell him . The dork doesn't know what he's doing half the time and you can trust what kind of crap Andre and Beck are gonna tell him, you got to be the one ."

" I hate to agree with jade ," replied Tori ," but its true ."

" I don't know , I mean, I'm still thinking about it is all " admitted Cat , adjusting the strap of her bikini top ," intimacy is special, its important , its this huge thing and I would want everything to be just perfect ."

" Exactly ," sighed Tori, dreamily ," hundreds of candles all lit up, some sexy , romantic song playing and just the right mood …."

" Not gonna be a movie " cracked jade as a slick Beck fell atop her , getting her all wet ," Beck , what the hell are you doing ?"

He pulled himself up, dropping a kiss on her smooth stomach, and moving to get comfortable and put his arms around her . Beck knew Jade just liked to protest just to fight and she gave him a yank, tracing the contours of his chest .

" Snoodling with my girlfriend "

" I hate that word " said jade , drolly , but ran her fingers through hid thick hair ," your getting me all wet "

Beck lifted his brow, invitingly ." We could go somewhere private and finish what we started …earlier "

" Maybe later " agreed jade , content to sit and be together .

' Baby " Andre wrapped his arms around Tori in a bear hug , sending her laughing as his skin was wet against hers ,' you done working on your tan ? Want to come play with me ?"

Tori wiggled in his grasp and slid her arms around his neck, happy to see he was smiling . He didn't look tense like he had when they had picked him up this morning .

" I could bury you in the sand " joked Tori, only half teasing her boyfriend as he nabbed the sunglasses from her sliding them on and settling her between his legs .

" Think I'll pass on that ," Andre nibbled a kiss on her shoulder ," you girls up for some food ? Cause we are starving and once again I am the winner , I am the fastest swimmer compared to slow ass Shapiro and Mr. .Surf God Oliver here "

Robbie pretended offended ." I am not that slow "

" I'll accept the Surf God title "

Tori, Cat, and Jade all rolled their eyes in mutual unison ." Oh God "

Cat placed the pale blue and white towel across her boyfriends shoulder , gently wiping the water from his shoulders and stealing a soft kiss as they listened to their friends silly banter . She tugged a curl and rested her face against his shoulder .

" I like watching you swim, Robbie " murmured Cat as he moved her to wrap both of his arms around her ," though you're a little pale so I think you should lie down with me and we can tan together ."

" I don't tan well or at all but I can definitely lie with you " muttered Robbie , her shy innocent invite conjuring up provocative images of them making love and felt color rise to his face . He wouldn't be a pig , he'd had his swine moments in Seattle and fully having Cat's full trust was essential to their relationship and he wouldn't mess up again .

Cat brushed a tiny kiss on his lips then one of his cheek ." I love you "

Robbie's heart swelled ," I love you too, Cat "

Lunch consisted of hot dogs and chips and cool water on the tiny grill that Beck had bought from a vendor for three bucks , Tori had spotted a volleyball net and cajoled Andre and the others into splitting into teams for a few games which were fun and short lived . Robbie wasn't a good a player , Cat enjoyed flirting with her boyfriend more than serving the ball and after jade nearly took out Tori in the first two games, Andre and Beck called it a tie and they quit the game for the afternoon .

Beck and Jade had gotten into some surfing, catching the best waves and trying to best each other while Cat and Robbie splashed and played in the water and Tori and Andre played tag until they all tired and wound up back on their blankets, arms around one another , and a small fire burning as the sun went down and the playfulness turned to the serious .

Jade pulled up the sleeves of Beck's red flannel shirt she had stolen and secure in his arms found that she was truly happy with their relationship . Any concerns she had battled about their future had dissipated during the summer and she felt they were in it for a long haul together .

" I cant believe we're Seniors ," brought up jade ," this year is ours, guys ."

" I need to make my mark as an actor if Jade and I are going to get into Brooklyn together ,' continued a quiet Beck ," I hope Sikowitz has some serious roles planned for a change , time for me to show them who I am ."

" Your one of the best actors at Hollywood Arts , Beck " says a positive Cat , playing with Robbie's fingers ," I 'm not even sure I know what I want to do yet ." she bit her lip, nervously ," I love performing and singing but now I'm not so sure ."

" You have time, sweetheart ," Robbie held her closer ," I think I changed my mind too , not really wanting to be a comic so much now but I'm a good writer ."

" Yeah, you don't suck anymore ," agreed Andre thinking of his horrible Robarrazi videos on the Slap their sophomore year . Robbie had come a long way since then and was actually pretty decent with writing these days so much he could understand it ," and all I know is my agent isn't getting me signed out there . I need to do something about that ..I am a musician ."

Tori leaned into his side , eyes shining and an idea on her mind ." Mason Thornesmith left me a bunch of messages while we were on vacation ," tori wacked Andre in the chest with her hand ," Wouldn't it be amazing if Neotronium Records signed us both , Andre ? "

" I know we've always been a team, Tori, but are you serious ? That'd be awesome for us " He had been happy when Tori had gotten chosen to perform at the Platinum Music awards and incredibly proud of her but getting their musical dream together would be the best on so many levels . They could be like some of the great musical couples .

Tori beamed " Mason listens to me now so yeah, what do you think ?"

Andre dipped her back on the blanket and laid his lips on hers ." I think I love you more than anything in this crazy , chizzin world, Tori Vega ."

Laughing , tori kissed him back ." I love you more "

In his best Judd Nelson Breakfast club imitation, Beck voiced what they were all thinking and was their goal for the new school year .

" So , gang, its our year to rule Hollywood Arts "


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer : I still don't own anything in DS's worlds and Victorious or iCarly either .

Seattle

Life with Trina Vega was an adventure .

She was a beautiful whirlwind in his life and he , Spencer Shay, couldn't imagine how he had existed without her for so long . Living together was a brand spanking new experience for them both as was adapting to another person and making compromises .

True , there had already been some dicey moments and he had only managed to set the coffee pot on fire once and Trina had thrown out some of his older clothes replacing them with snazzy new shirts making him feel pretty adult .

It was working out well for them and it had only been a week .

Carly seemed to be adjusting to this new relationship as well and was making a concentrated effort to get to know Trina better.

Of course, his sister was in a shiny new relationship with Gibby which would have been insane if the Gibster hadn't turned into this figure of a man who treated his little sister like gold .

Spencer scrambled some eggs, humming to himself , as he glanced at the toaster , then the living room where the TV was blasting out an early morning rerun of his Celebrities Under Water and hoped David Shwimmer could swim with the sharks . It would be a shame if he drowned or got eaten.

He pulled down two new funky looking cups and filled them with the aromatic coffee , adding just the right amount of sugar and milk to his girlfriends then dumping half of the bowl of sugar in his own, hoping to drown out the bitterness .

" Oh my God ! "

" Trina , what's the matter ? Is something on fire in the shower ? " called Spencer , as Trina ran into the living room, his robe wrapped around her , her dark hair wavy as she held a shampoo bottle up for his inspection, an alarmed expression on her face .

" What kind of shampoo is this ? Look at my hair - it's a big ball of frizz and I have a meeting with Isabelle and Ivy in two hours " She was still in the beginning stages of her career as the Feet of Fizzene Shoes and was terrified of messing this opportunity up big time and being humiliated by her family and friends .

Her mother would love nothing more than to say 'I told you so "

Spencer narrowed his eyes , moving across , taking in her wet hair with careful consideration of a man who was raising his sixteen year old sister and this woman freaking out over the state of her hair was the woman of his dreams so not wanting kicked or killed for having a opinion or saying the wrong thing .

" Honey, your hair is fine ," reassured Spencer, taking the shampoo from her ," and this is amazing shampoo from Jamaica that T-Bo swears makes your hair super soft and silky . Socko got a good deal on it so I bought a whole case for like thirty bucks ."

Trina was pensive ." You wouldn't lie to me , Spencer , would you ?"

An 'oh' formed across his mouth as he grasped her shoulders, gazing into her wide eyes and smiled, lovingly .

" Not on my life " assured Spencer, ducking to drop a kiss on her pout ," now go finished getting dressed while I finish burning the toast ."

" I don't eat toast but your sweet to make me breakfast " said Trina , turning around and heading back into the bathroom to make herself gorgeous .

She wanted to pinch herself every day that a remarkable man that was Spencer loved her back . She had never really bought into the whole fate and destiny gig but meeting and loving Spencer changed her mind and she didn't want to screw up what they had together .

Trina changed into a short purple silk dress , adding a bold belt around her waist , bright purple three inch Fizzene heels completed the look as she blow dried her hair straight and added some blush , a smoky eye and mascara before joining her love in the kitchen where he was nursing a cup of coffee, gingerly making a pained face and after blowing on it, took a barely there sip .

" Spence, you don't have to drink the coffee for me ,' Trina took the cup away from him, " I know you hate it . It is enough that you make my morning Joe for me ..and oh, the boat overturned , I hope David can swim with all those hungry sharks ."

Spencer kissed her again and glanced around her, riveted at the television screen and the reality drama that was both their guilty pleasures .

" Its always so tense when they hit the water and there are sharks "

" Jade always hopes they drown or get killed ," said Trina , taking a drink of the caffeine on a sigh ," where is Carly ? I figured she would be down here before you and I were out of bed this morning …"

" Oh she left early this morning with Sam, Freddie and Gibby ," told Spencer, fixing her plate just as the toast popped up and flipped onto the floor ," they were driving out to the beach before school starts next week and I think Freddie wanted to beat the afternoon traffic and Mrs. Benson ."

" Tori said they did that yesterday back home in Hollywood " brought up Trina , who hadn't gotten several texts from her sister upon waking this morning .

" Must be a teen thing " Spencer forked some eggs shoveling them into his mouth.

" Are you going to wear that to your meeting with the Freidman's ?" inquired Trina , motioning at his outfit which consisted of well worn jeans, a grey penny tee that declared Crazy Steve' was here and tennis shoes that were paint splattered from his last sculpture .

As an artist the look was sexy as hell but for a meeting it didn't say professional .

" I don't meet them until noon ," said Spencer , wearily, " this is comfortable ."

" You look cute but maybe change the shirt " Trina kissed him ," Mrs. . Freidman seemed the hoity tioty type so it couldn't hurt to dress up a little more "

" I can do this ," Spencer picked up the coffee again," and I am trying to drink coffee in case I have to be polite and drink some while I try to get them to commission me for some art . You don't mind my artist look , do you ?"

Trina always looked uber glamorous and like a million bucks and he didn't want to look like a stuffy suit wearing guy either .He really , really hated suited and ties were the worse .

" Yes, I do, Spencer ,and I love you " Trina wound her arms around his neck drawing him into a lingering kiss against the countertop until her alarm went off .

" Dang it , stupid alarm ! I need to get my purse and get to work "

Fluffing her hair once more , then adjusting her gold ,oversized Fizzene bag she had found at a garage sale for a steal, Trina was out the door and in the elevator , narrowly missing having to make polite conversation with Marissa Benson , who was appalled that she was living in sin with Spencer .

Batty woman , poor Freddie .

*************************Hearts ******************************

A light breeze tugged at Carly's hair as she strolled along the beach , hand tucked in the crook of Gibby's arm , as they watched Sam attempt to playfully drown her boyfriend .

Usually Sam had the upper hand but after being slam ducked four times it appeared that Freddie was about to take control , grabbing Sam's leg and wrestling her into the wave , their laughter carrying over the din of the noisy beach..

" Those two look like their having a lot of fun ," brought up Gibby,gesturing towards the couple ," so, Carly, you want to join them ? "

" No, I don't want to interrupt them " said Carly, laying a hand on his wrist and gazing up at his handsome face . She still couldn't quite get over how much Gibby had changed -he'd lost that kid look that she supposed they all had, and had become this forthright man who took charge and could be funny and really serious .

Gibby had always been one of her closest friends but somehow they had transitioned into more and had more or less been dating each other . Once the strangeness of that had passed , it was nice being in the shiny new stages of a relationship with him .

Unbelievable at times but in a good way .

He was attentive towards her and who would have ever known his kisses would make her swoon like the girl in all those romantic movies she loved to watch ?

She certainly never would have but there it was -sigh -Carly liked Gibby .

So, Carly, I've been wanting to talk about something important with you," broached Gibby, shifting slightly and dropping her hand ," kind of been putting it off and Freddie thought I should just wait but school is starting back up soon ."

" I cannot believe we will be Seniors this year ," gushed Carly , folding her arms over her white cover up ," we should do something amazing to leave our mark on Ridgeway ."

" I think Sam holds the record for most time spent in detention "

Carly laughed and bit her lower lip, nervous ." Gibby, don't beat around the bush , just ask me whatever it is you wanted to ask me . Since when do you take this much time over a darn question ?"

Gibby brushed his palms down the sides of his Hawwaiian print shorts and exhaled .

" You and I have been spending a lot of time with each other ," continued Gibby, vowing to himself to be strong here or how much her answer mattered ," things have changed between us . I don't want to be presumptious or anything but are we together or is this like been a summer fling for you ? "

He needed clarification for his own peace of mind or if he needed to accept closure .

The Robbie incident was still heavy on his mind and granted most of Carly's grunchy behavior was all of that slime ball Brad's fault for hurting her but none of that changed the fact that whatever was between them needed defined or friend zoned or closure .

Carly's smile was soft and a little tentative as if questioning herself . " Gibby, I thought we had been ..I mean, we're dating . Right ?"

He arched a brow ." I thought so, I mean, I had hoped , I'll just say, yes ."

" Unless you wanted us to be a summer thing ?" Carly was so unsure about the way of relationships and her track record hadn't ever been good and she loved romance .

She just didn't understand the tenuous intricacies of the heart .

" No, no, I'm good with us being a couple ," admitted Gibby, straightening a bit ," I just wanted to you know , prepare myself in case you changed your mind about this ."

Carly stepped closer to him, moving in to wind her arms around his neck, and couldn't resist grinning at him , feeling happy to be with him . If Sam and Freddie could endure the constant laughter and crude remarks about their relationship, she and Gibby would be just fine .

" That would be awfully silly of me , Gibby, since you make me feel extremely special "

" I try " Gibby brushed at a strand of loose hair ," is it too soon for me to put it out there ? I mean, about how I feel about you ?"

A knot twisted in her belly even as a flock of butterflies danced in circles around the nervousness and rather than run for the hills , Carly decided honesty was for the best .

Throwing up wouldn't help her and it was really gross so she nodded her head .

" I'm not really ready for that yet, Gib ," Carly's tone was quiet , " don't really think we should jinx us . I'm sorry , I really like you which you should know anyway by now and Lord knows I lost my head and brain a little over the summer but I would hate for you to say what you what to say and me not be able to respond yet …."

" I get it , Carly ," reassured Gibby, feeling remarkably calm ," no pressure . "

" Thanks " Carly closed the short distance between them , asserting herself as she covered his mouth with hers and felt the earth literally move from under her feet as Gibby met her kiss for kiss . He grasped her waist urging her closer , hands moving across the skin of her back, his touch making her feel more alive than she could ever remember .

She clutched at his printed flowered shirt , the scent of his cologne assaulting her senses even as a giggle escaped her lips . " Ocean Breeze ? "

" Oh yeah, you said you liked it " Gibby moved his lips to her neck ," I bought the mens deodorant , body wash, and the cologne "

" I do like it ," Carly pressed tiny kisses across his cheek ," oceany and kind of rugged ."

" Oh my chizz , will you to just get a room already " Sam yanked her wet hair off her shoulders , dropped her nubs hand, and gave the stink eye to her best friends simply because she could ," you two lovebirds are embarrassing me ."

" Sam, give them a break ," Freddie tugged at her hand ," they cant help it if they are falling in love …the big, ole L-O-V-E "

Carly turned four shades of crimson and hugged Gibby's side , burrowing her face into his chest .

" No one is saying anything of the sort , you guys ," Carly defended herself ," Gibby and I haven't defined our relationship yet and I need time . So just stop with the room talk "

" No chance of that , Carls ," grinned Sam, broadly ," You and Gib gave us hell when me and Freddie got together . Payback time "

" I agree with my baby on this " put forth Freddie , draping an arm around Sam's shoulder .

" Then I guess we have the teasing coming at us ," rationalized Gibby, dropping a kiss in his own girlfriends hair ," just don't make her dump me, please , its all I ask ."

Carly narrowed her eyes and whacked him, lightly , in the side ." I'm not going to dump you , Gibby, don't even say that ."

" Just covering all my bases here ," admitted a somber Gibby ," haven't really felt like this since Tasha so being extra cautious , I suppose , and that's all I am saying ."

" Well, I'm saying that I'm very happy with you, you sweet lug of mine "

Gibby kissed her ," That is what I needed to hear , I wont lie , I needed that ."

********************************Hearts***************************************

While Carly and Gibby were defining the perimeters of their relationship , back in Hollywood , Andre was trying to find a way to escape having an actual conversation with his father . His Grandma was still doing well and after checking her pills ( the red and blue ones hadn't been mixed ) and the butter wasn't in the cabinet , he figured he was safe for grabbing Beck and Robbie for some guy time and maybe shoot some hoops .

Well, he and Beck would shoot the hoops and Robbie would be lucky if he made a basket but it was still hanging out time which is what mattered .

Besides Tori had a meeting with Mason Thornesmith of Netronium Records and he figured she'd be at the studio all day so he wouldn't be able to see her till the evening .

Andre had just changed out of his good clothes settling for some old jeans and an old blue tee shirt which was comfortable for a game of basketball in Beck's yard .

He sent off a text to Robbie and was reaching for his keys to the car when his Dad put a hand on his shoulder , halting him with a look that was suppose to make him want to stay there . It was a parent look but then he hadn't seen his Dad since last year so he wasn't feeling especially cooperative with what the man wanted . He appreciated his Dad buying him the car and all and it was true his Grandma was happy to see the man but that was it .

" Your not rushing off again . Are you, son ?"

Andre tensed at the word but met the mans steady gaze with one of his own ." As a matter of fact, I am ," told Andre ," the guys and I are hanging out today ."

" Then I am sure the guys can wait until we've had a chance to talk ," Stan indicated that his son take a seat on the sofa ," you seem to be doing a good job of avoiding us talking, Andre, and I have mentioned it was important we talk ."

Andre scowled , annoyed ." We've talked . I asked where your wife was , you said in Vegas still, and I told you all about my summer vacation, Dad, so I think we're good on the whole sharing thing . "

He didn't want to get used to the idea of the man being around because as soon as he got tired of doing the family thing, Stan would be back on the road for new , exciting things .

" Your Tori is much prettier in person than in the pictures you kids posted together on the Slap ," Stan pushed on ahead , determined to try harder ," Is she the girl for you or you still playing the field ? "

Andre could only stare at him. " My dang love life and my whole relationship with Tori isn't any of your business "

" Mom told me you've been dating her for a while now "

Andre clutched at his braids , dropped his hands on his lap, and tried not to be mad . Ten out of eleven times , Grandma was crazy and didn't remember Tori's name half of the time so he shouldn't think too much into this . This was just his father wanting to do the parent thing part time because he had tried to say it with the fancy car last year .

Andre loved the car and thought he had appreciated it but this new tactic was nothing but the same chizz , new year .

Or Barbie was pregnant and Stan was feeling old guilt towards him .

That made more sense , more Stan's style , too .

" Fine , Tori and I are sort of serious ," managed Andre ," we havent dissected what we have , that isn't us . That is all I am giving you, Dad ."

" You have plenty of time for that , no need to rush things , Andre ," continued Stan , eyes drawn to the framed picture of a four year old Andre learning to play the guitar ," you've got your own future to think about . Big choices ahead and college …whether your going to move away from here ."

Dread hit his stomach as if he had been whacked with a bowling ball in the gut .

" Stop all this small talk ," cut in Andre , glancing at his watch ," pretending you care about what I want to do or about my girlfriend, your not around enough to even do a believable pretend care with me . What is it that you want from me ? "

Stan took a long pull of the iced tea and swallowed , thankful his mother had been well enough to go to the salon with her friend . Marie was spry for her age and could keep an eye on Beverly which was wise and enabled him to have this talk with his son .

He should have initiated it when Andre had first gotten home but he hadn't wanted to ruin the boys good move and now all he got was his anger .

" Your future actually , Andre ," pushed on Stan, all seriousness," its your Senior year and your going to be wanting to make your own plans about your career and college and your future . Important things and taking care of your Grandmother isn't something a man your age is going to want to do …and she is getting on in her age ."

Andre stood, on defense , right off the bat ." Grandma isn't a problem for me . Why the hell do you care ? "

" She is my mother , of course, I care ," answered Stan as if his son shouldn't understand ," and her mental facilities haven't been normal as they should be , well, for years and we both know this . She's been a little on the crazy side and that is with her medication and you've been taking care of her but that is going to have to stop ."

Anger curled deep inside Andre , rising to a haze of red rage as he faced the man who was his father , evenly . How could this be happening now ?

Why was this happening now ?

" Grandma is doing awesome , she is doing the best she has in years and even if she does get a little crazy in the head , its all cool ," stressed Andre who loved the woman more than anything ," she takes care of me and I take care of her ."

" How are you going to take care of her and the bills if you wind up in New York or someplace else ? You cant, Andre , and you shouldn't have too "

" Tori and I are talking about staying in L.A.," informed Andre , madder than he had ever been and ignoring what he knew was being suggested to him ," I can take care of Grandma ! "

" Son, be reasonable , " Stan softened his tone ," I think Mom would be better off if we put her in a home ."

" No ," Andre slammed his hand down on the table, ignoring the pain that went threw him ," I said NO ! You cant just waltz on back into town and decide to put Grandma in a home, you don't know chizz about her or about us ! I'm the one that takes care of her , not you and I am saying NO ! You got that - I wont let that happen "

Pissed , hurt, and in throbbing pain in his hand, Andre slammed out of the house , torn between wanting to be left alone or needing Tori to help him fix things .


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer : I still don't own Victorious or Hollywood Arts.

Andre's head felt like it was going to explode from all the wonkiness going on inside , no thanks to the man who was his so called father , and wanted to put Grandma in a damn home !

OOOH the wonky was bad, real, real bad !

He knew running wasn't the most mature or manly thing to do but he couldn't sit around and listen to the man, Andre had to get out of the house , didn't want his Grandma to hear them fighting . It was her house and he would respect her .

The old man was looking for a fight with him well it wouldn't be at the house .

God , he needed Tori and some cocoa .

Beer might even be better right now ..naw , he needed a clear mind to deal with the man .

He hopped in the car , paused to send off a 911 text to his girlfriend , and drove around the block, winding up at Robbie's house and found his friend sitting in the old convertible staring forlornly at the wheel and the picture of Cat he had on the corner of the windshield .

" Hey Rob "

Robbie blinked at his friend , baffled ." I thought I was supposed to pick you up ."

" Yeah, well, plans changed," informed Andre , grimly ," I found out why the old man decided to pay me a visit and it sucks , its really bad ."

Robbie examined his friend closely, recognizing signs of heavy wonk and that was never a good sign . Andre could be very emotional and was worse if his wonk was messed up .

He put aside his own father issues and waved towards his car .

" Maybe you shouldn't be driving , " suggested Robbie , quietly ," hop in and I'll drive us to Beck's house and you can tell us what's going on with your Dad . Or should we go to Tori's instead ? "

Andre didn't think twice , he parked the car, locked it, pocketed the keys and hopped into the passenger side of his friends vehicle , smoothing his lips tightly as he gripped the sides of the seat and tried not to break down . Robbie wouldn't say anything if he did and that was cool but man, the shock , it was a lot to take .

He was still processing and he just couldn't believe this was happening to him .

" Tori's not home ," said Andre , shaking his head ," she was going down to Neutronium Records for some sort of meeting with Mason Thorne smith . I texted her but I don't know if she can even get out of this meeting or answer me back until its over . I just don't know , Robbie , and I really need my woman, you know ."

" I understand ," said Robbie , sympathetically ," Cat is hanging out with Jade today ."

" Grandma has been doing really well , Robbie ," expressed Andre in a tiny voice ," and the woman is hanging out with Cat's Nona and getting her hair done . Its like how things were before my folks left , when grandma was raising me and then it was me taking care of her and we been taking care of each other .."

" So this is about your Grandma ? "

" Stan thinks he can just waltz back in from Vegas or wherever the hell he's been traveling too and run our lives. I wont let that happen . I wont ."

*************************Hearts of Glass *****************************

Neutronuim Records was in one of the high rise buildings in downtown Hollywood , all shiny glass windows , and fancy studios , where you could run into anyone from Bruno Mars to Katy Perry , if you were lucky enough . Tori had visited here often enough when she had gotten chosen to sing during the Platinum Music Awards and though she had spent a good portion of the time being a guinea pig for Mason who had been trying to create an image for her .It had been a horrible experience .

Not to mention the secrecy - not being able to tell her parents or friends that her new diva act was just exactly that .

Dismissing the horrid memory , Tori and Mason had sort of been in talks after her performance and now she had been summoned to his office . Between her parents problems and then Seattle , she hadn't really considered his record label .

She and Andre knew they wanted to perform together and they had been looking into music schools and colleges that had awesome programs for music .

Neither of them had decided anything concrete yet or if Andre even wanted to go .

Still it couldn't hurt to meet with Mason and find out why he wanted to talk .

As Tori was led into the spacious office she always marveled over the ornate , cherry wood desk, the massive 62 inch screen television mounted on the wall, the comfortable leather sofa and the row of solid gold records on the walls .

Still an impressive office , even if Mason could be overbearing and over the top, at times .

" Tori, Tori, Tori "

" Hello Mason "

Mason Thornesmith was a handsome man in his late fifties , his grayish black hair and British accent gave him an air of importance , and the cut of his expensive suit screamed this man had class . His smile was a cross between sincerity and malicious intent .

Sometimes she wasn't exactly sure if they weren't one and the same but she couldn't just ignore the only label that was interested in her music either .

" Sit, please , and so happy you didn't bring along all your friends "

Tori pasted on a semi-smile and folded her hands on top of her legs and simply nodded .She wouldn't let him control her this time, she could be an adult .

" Did you want to see Cat or Jade ? "

" No, no ," replied Mason, carefully as he didn't intend to spook her this time around . Teenage artists were so prickly and teenage ," Would you care for a sparkling water ? "

" No, I'm fine "

Mason sent her a charming smile ." Thank you for coming to meet with me today ," replied the producer ," I know there was a bit of a problem , that tiny misunderstanding we had and I would like us to move past that ." He glanced at a file of the songs she had submitted to his studio months prior ," Tori, since your performance on the Platinum Music Awards, our phones are literally ringing off the hook with people interested in your talent . A talent which we here at Neutronium would like to nourish and perhaps cut a demo and see how that plays on the radio …what do you say ? "

" Really ? " inquired a dubious Tori, wanting to be excited but not wanting to be another pawn or a diva in the making via Mason .

" Really ," said Mason, leaning forward to meet her gaze ," I think your 'Make it in America ' could be a perfect summer song and we could release it to coincide with BTR's 'Elevate ' . Create some buzz I am thinking is the way to go ….."

Tori scooted in her seat , the thrill of it making her smile ." Big Time Rush ?"

" Yes, well, Gustavo Roque and I go way back in this business ," explained mason, dismissing it ," No concern of yours , dear , but I happen to know his boy band is planning to release their summer single and we could ride , maybe create some good natured , friendly competiton between you and the guys ."

" That is cool " agreed Tori, eagerly ," and you'll let me be myself ? No more rudeness or meat hats ? "

He heaved an overwrought sigh of dismay ." Naturally you can be yourself, Tori , and I will have a contract drawn up immediately . You'll want to bring your parents in with you and a lawyer I imagine to read and sign it ….must do this all proper ."

Mason had bypassed those steps when he had chosen Tori the first time and a unexpected visit from David Vega hadn't been pleasant , after the fact .

A mistake he intended to recitify this time around .

" My parents ? "

" You are not yet 18 and if you are to be the next big artist , it is important that we have your parents on board, so to speak, with us "

" That does make sense ," agreed Tori, imagining her name in lights , the applause ringing in her ears and knew her day was near ," I'll talk to Mom and Dad tonight ."

Mason reached across the table to give her hand a fatherly pat ." You do that "

Tori smoothed her lips together as another text sounded loudly in the quiet room .

Who was blowing up her phone ? She didn't want to seem like a child and blow this opportunity especially since Mason appeared to be quite upfront and serious about taking her career to the next step with talks of demos and a record contract .

This was the real deal ! This was huge !

" I'm so sorry about that," Tori glanced at her cell, noting that it was another message from her boyfriend and ignoring it, shut it off and put it in her pocket," I am very ready to make a demo , Mason , and I am positive my parents will be fine with everything . Being a successful pop singer is what I have always wanted to be …oh, and my boyfriend Andre Harris and I write and perform a lot of songs together . "

" You should bring Andre in here and we could sing you one of the songs that we have written together , Mason ."

" I am really not interested in signing another Captain and Tennille " said a brisk Mason, not wanting to deal with all the sticky teenage love drama . Disgusting chizz .

Tori gave him a blank stare ." Who ? "

" I don't need any of this Taylor Swift boyfriend drama or the ridiculous boy band dating shenanigans Tiger Beat likes to sell ," Mason was on point ," Just you, Tori Vega ."

Tori couldn't help but to frown at his shutting her down about Andre - the man was very British and she didn't want to turn this down twice . She knew there wouldn't be a third chance and besides Andre would understand . He had an agent since their sophomore year and she was positive another label would surely sign him too before they graduated .

Or maybe she could gradually introduce Mason to Andre's music later and convince him to change his mind and sign him on to the label , too .

Happy that she had a plan in motion, Tori grinned and shook the mans proffered hand .

" So does this mean this is really happening to me ? "

" We will have to work around that pesky high school schedule of yours, of course ," answered Mason, brusquely ," you Tori Vega are going to be my next big star ."

" Yeah me " gushed Tori , her dream catching hold and on the road to happening .

****************************Hearts of Glass *****************************

Beck handed Andre a bottle of sparkling water with an apologetic smile as he plopped down in the lawn chairs beside his friends . A pick up game of basketball all forgotten in lieu of Andre's upsetting news and he didn't dare help himself to his Dads beer when his mother was lurking around the kitchen .

" Mom doesn't buy cocoa in the summer " brought up Beck ," fancy water will have to do until you get to Tori's place , man .'

" Thanks ," Andre took a swing of the water and made a face ," I just don't get it, guys , the man misses his own mothers birthday every other year . Grandma might be a little kooky in the head sometimes but it doesn't mean she should be locked up in a gross home for the elderly either ."

Robbie watched the water dribble down the side of the bottle then lifted his worried eyes to his friends . This was a tough situation , awful and on the side of tragic but someone had to be practical and it looked like it was up to him .

" I like your Grandma , Andre ," brought up Robbie, minding his words ," she is a really nice lady . I know that your father has been gone from your life most of the time but he is an adult . Doesn't that mean he can pretty much be responsible for his mom ? "

Andre glowered angrily at him ." Rob, your supposed to be taking my side here . What if this was your Maw Maw we were talking about here ? "

Robbie thought of his own grandmother with genuine love and affection - Sylvia was intense most of the time but she was his family . Often than not it was her and Grandpa that spoke on his behalf when it came to his decisions and his life .

They were his champions more so than his parents ever were if felt like .

" Oh Lord , no ," muttered Robbie ," that would be a travesty . Maw Maw would never allow it to happen ! It would be all out war in the Shapiro family ."

" Well me and my grandma are all the family I need ," stated Andre , clenching his fist, tightly ," I can just go and get myself emancipated and take care of grandma for real like ."

Beck scratched his eyebrow , thoughtfully ." That is a huge step, Andre ," said ever cautious Beck, gesturing at his own Rv aka his living quarters ," you remember how many rounds the parental units and I went around over me wanting to live on my own terms ? It wasn't a piece of cake and there is a contract involved ."

Andre rapped his hand on the side of the old Silver Streak , it was solid .

He understood that his best buds were trying to help him out but Beck's living situation was different than his own. Beck's parents weren't bad people and he still had the whole family dinner thing with them every Tuesday and Thursday .

Grandma could still take care of herself and didn't need moved into the janked up old folks home in the city . Elderly Acres was a scam and it wasn't happening .

" I'm almost eighteen soon ," declared Andre , puffing out his cheeks and blowing out a deep breath ," I'm an adult now . The bastard isn't putting away my Grandma without a fight from me first ….its on ."

Beck, Robbie , and Andre shared a resigned expression and drank in unison .

It was going to be a long, long day .

**************************************Hearts ***************************

Meanwhile Cat and Jade were hanging out in the backyard of the Valentine backyard sunning themselves on the lounge chairs , the boom box playing the latest from the Top 40 countdown while the friends discussed their up and coming school year .

Steven was occupied with trimming the hedges and feeling melancholy as his own school experience had been sporadic at best and anything but normal because of his illness

.

His little sister would be a Senior this year - where had time gone ?

Cat rubbed the lotion on her arms and let out a long sigh ." I don't know if I know what I want to do with my life, Jade , besides marry Robbie ."

Jade stopped writing and lifted her sunglasses to stare at her best friend . Cat had natural talent - she had a pretty awesome singing voice but she had mad skills behind the scenes too making costumes and the like .

" So your not going to be a big pop star like Vega ? Cause you haven't really been pursuing that ," said Jade , bluntly ," though Lane could probably get you into those advanced classes this semester , if you asked him, too ."

Cat contemplated this , thoughtfully as she twirled a lock of red hair around her finger .

" I love to sing but Tory and Andre are the real musicians ," murmured Cat, picking at her pale pink nail polish ," I did have a lot of fun designing costumes for your play , Jade ."

" Hmm, yeah, your designs are pretty cool," agreed a distracted Jade, marking out a notation in the new screenplay she was trying to write . A period piece with Cat and Robbie as her leads but the Civil War wasn't working right for her ," be a designer ."

" Maybe "

Steven tossed his sister a towel ." Cover up , sis , the neighborhood swine are ogling you and Jade "

Cat wore a modest pink polka dotted bikini while Jade had the black bikini that hardly left anything for the imagination but she was so confident she didn't care who stared .

" I cant get a sun tan if I do that "

" Let em look ," said Jade with a throaty laugh ," Beck is the only one that gets to touch ."

Cat closed her eyes and made a face ." You and Beck need to work harder on making those R moments in private, Jadey ."

Jade wasn't fazed in the least and simply shrugged, casually , not embarrassed .

She and Beck had a passionate , exciting love life and she wasn't ashamed by it .

Cat was a little too innocent , a little too naive , and might need some pointers if she and Robbie were planning on taking their relationship to the next level in the near future .

" Blah ,blah, blah, " dismissed Jade , pulling out a black clip and piling her dark hair on top of her head ," you need to stop being so prissy , Cat ."

" Caterina is a young lady, Jade ," Steven leaned against the back of her lounge chair ," don't encourage her of your wicked ways."

She pierced him with a look that scared most men and boys away but Steven was made of sturdier stuff than that . He picked up the worn red flannel shirt and tossed it to her .He considered Jade West a honorary sister and deserving the same treatment .

" You're a good best friend to my sister, Jade , but you girls don't need to move so fast "

" You pick this up in therapy , Steven ? " tossed back jade, not unkindly .

Steven might be 7 kinds of weird and not right most of the time but he wasn't a bad guy .

He had always treated her with respect when she and Cat had started hanging out way back in middle school and never judged her either but this overprotective was new .

" Partially ," Steven smiled at them both ," I've missed out on so much between hospitals and now you girls are Seniors. I never got a date with Trina Vega , Jade won an award for a play and Cat has a steady boyfriend - you shouldn't rush the year away before its even gotten started is all I am saying ."

Cat caught her big brothers eye ." Since when have you wanted to date Trina ? "

" Since the time when you were dating morons named Tug " tossed back Steven , wryly ," Trina is a fine looking woman . I was having issues at the time so I couldn't ask her out ."

Jade shook her head, amused ." You could always drive to Seattle and pick a fight with Spencer Shay for her, Stevie Boy , just get it on video ."

" I shouldn't have said anything ," replied Steven , kissing the top of his sisters head ," I'm going to go make some phone calls about those jobs I applied for and stuff ."

He left the girls alone and headed inside the house as Cat brought her folded legs up wrapping her arms around it . She was trying to be a supportive sister but he was a lot different this time around and Cat wasn't sure how she should be acting .

" Steven's been really deep since he got out of the hospital , Jade "

" I see that ," Jade put down her writing ," Must be good meds this time around . He hasn't done anything messed up right ? "

" Well, no , " mutters Cat, softly ," you don't think we should keep him company ? "

" I think if your brother wanted to hear us talk about our boyfriends and what you and rob didn't do in Seattle Steven would have hung around more ," stated Jade , reaching over to tap her friends leg ," Cut your brother some slack, Cat , he'll be good this time ."

Cat was hopeful ." I hope so, Jade "

" Relax, Cat, you worry more than Vega ," said Jade, taking a sip of her water ," maybe I am putting you and Robbie in the wrong era . You two dig the 1940's chizz "

Maybe a classic misunderstanding , some old time romance, and the war .

Except Jade would have to find a way to twist it up and make it not so boring and cheesy , a little noir perhaps blended with the right amount of humor .

Damn maybe she would have to watch some of the old movies Cat loved so much, all in the sake of research .

" Oh," Cat clapped her hands together , excitedly ," Since you Went Away and I'll Be Seeing you are my most favorites . Dad found me copies at the flea market he and Mom went to last week …and you hate old movies ."

She grew suspicious as Jade had a very long list of things she hated and Cat always made it a point to know them . She didn't want to accidentally make her mad .

" True ," conceded Jade , making the quick decision to follow her gut ," let's go watch these sappy movies but I don't want to hear you bawling through it , Cat . I need inspiration for this new play and you can save the rest for Robbie ."

" Yay ! This is going to be so much fun ! " Cat pulled Jade into a hug , ignoring her annoyed look , and sprinted up to her bedroom .

This was a new type of hanging out with her best friend, a new memory for the scrapbook , and Cat had a feeling it was a part of a change that was coming their way .

It felt like everything was going to change for them all this year .

Tori got out of her meeting with Mason feeling positively exhilarated and ready for anything . She couldn't wait to tell Andre and all of their friends .

This would be the Year of Tori Vega and she would make it shine !

She laughed at her own silliness as she climbed into the car that Mason had provided to take her back home . Star treatment already which she wouldn't let go to her head .

Tori turned on her phone and noted she had missed 10 calls from Andre, 5 text messages from Beck, 3 texts from Robbie , and a voicemail from her sister .

Andre wasn't a spammer which meant that something was going on and Robbie spent too much time worrying about his monthly bill throw in Beck and it all spelled BAD.

I CANT TAKE IT

ANDRE"S WONK IS BAD

Your Boyfriend is a HOT MESS. ME and Rob are taking him to your house .

Worry filled Tori's chest with pressure as she scrolled through the texts urging the driver to go faster and felt like a terrible girlfriend for ignoring the messages when they had came in . If always calm Beck and practical Robbie couldn't calm Andre down then there was indeed a big problem . The guys usually stuck together and got it done , whatever the it was, which meant it wasn't a simple fix it problem .

She hoped Mom still had some Belgium cocoa left over in the cabinet .

It always helped soothe and calm Andre if she fixed him cocoa - it was silly and sweet .

One of the things that Tori loved about Andre .

Andre felt jittery as he moved into the kitchen , opened up the freezer , closed it, and paced back towards the adjoining living room while he waited for his girlfriend to get home . He glanced at the time on his watch , he hoped she would hurry , he didn't want to leave Grandma home too long with Stan before he wanted to sell the house next .

He wouldn't put it past the man- he was a scam artist .

David Vega stepped inside the house from the garage and took in a nervous looking Andre and went from detective to parent in a second .

" Andre , can I help you with something ? Where is Holly ? "

" Oh hey Mr. V," Andre stopped pacing and stood at attention ," Your wife said something about going into work . I'm just waiting on Tori to get back from her meeting with Thorne smith ..if that's alright ."

" Sure ," David opened the fridge and took out the pitcher of lemonade ," You want to take a load off ? Maybe sit down and have a glass of lemonade with me ? "

" Um, sure, I guess so " said Andre , politely ," you been working on a case ? "

David filled two glasses and nodded ." Yes " He handed his daughters boyfriend a glass and urged him to join him at the table ," Son, you look like your about to jump out of your skin . Since I know you're an upstanding young man I believe your not like this because of substances so I'm going to say your what is it Tori calls it wonk , wank, or is it wank is out of control ? "

Andre took a sip and was unsure of how to respond . Tori's Dad was a cop and he never really intimidated him though he could if he wanted like he had with Spencer and Trina .

" It's wonk, Sir "

" Does it have anything to do with the fact your Father is back in town ? "

Andre could only stare at him. " The roving producer "

" Tory might have mentioned it ," replied David , amiably ," I realize I am probably not cool or anything, Andre, but I'd be glad to listen if you needed to talk about things ."

Andre considered it but felt unsure . Tori's Dad was still an adult and probably would think what his own father was wanting to do was his right . He didn't need that -now right now .

" Thanks .Mr. Vega, but I'll just wait for Tori "

" Sure " David didn't push, simply finished his lemonade , and moved upstairs ," make yourself at home . You practically live here anyway, Andre ."

He had never met Andre's parents but the stories he had heard from Tori hadn't been good . He and Holly made mistakes with the girls - Lord knows they weren't perfect, but they weren't absent in their girls lives either .

" Andre ! Andre ! I'm here !" Tory burst in the door , frantic , and spotting her boyfriend, through herself at him, wrapping herself around him, and feeling the nerves in him .

He was a bundle of them .

" Tor " Andre's eyes were filled with sadness and worry ," God, I'm losing my mind "

She ran her hand through his dreads, her touch tender as she cupped his face with her hands and pressed her lips to his , love in every movement .

" I'm so so sorry , Dre ," Tori kissed him gently ," What can I do to help ? "

Andre rested his head against her chest and listened to her heart against his ear and felt the load lighten a bit . He closed his eyes , relaxing as she ran her hands through his hair and tried not to cry . He wouldn't cry until they were out of last resorts .

" Stan came back to put my Grandma into a freaking home "

She felt her boyfriends hurt as strongly as if it were her own ." Oh Andre "

" I don't care what his damn rights are , I'm the one who takes care of her ," exclaimed Andre , emotion thick in his tone ," I have rights too. Will you help me, baby, help me fight him ? I cant let him take my Grandma away from me ..I wont "

Tory blinked back the sudden tears on her lashes and kissed him hard on the mouth .

" Of course I will , Andre , its you and me , like always ! Spencer went to law school once so we can ask him for some free advice "

" Good ! " Andre held her tight ," I knew that you would , Tori, you're my rock ."

" I love you too ," Tori led him to the couch and made him sit ," now I am going to make you some cocoa and we can figure out what we need to do to fix this ."

Andre nodded and dragged a tired hand over his face , heart heavy , and allowed the woman he loved to ease his mind and soothe his freaked out soul .

From the staircase, David shook his head , feeling bad for the young man and made the decision to look into what Stan Harris had been up to on his travels this past year, unofficially , of course .

Andre was almost family and David didn't expect him to leave Tori's side .

Family looked out for family .


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer : Nope, I still don't own Victorious, Icarly, or anything D.S. related .

' Gotta go back, back , back to school " sang Cat , cheerfully as she snuggled close to Robbie as he pulled into a parking spot in the lot of Hollywood Arts ," don't you just love the first day of school, Robbie ? "

" Not nearly as much as you do, Cat ," replied Robbie , adjusting the collar on his new button down blue shirt and leaning over to kiss his girlfriend, tenderly ," Granted we are Seniors now which is exciting except for all the huge life altering decisions we need to be thinking about happen like what colleges to apply for and what do I want to do with my life and a career ."

His father had made it a point this morning of reminding him of those details over coffee.

Robbie knew he expected him to put aside his dreams and go into the business with him but the idea unsettled him. He didn't want to be a cutthroat businessman and had as much intrest in wheeling and dealing as he did as he would if he decided to take after his Granddad and become a butcher . Not that his Dad was so approachable to begin with and Mom was being all weird which meant she wasn't helping him out .

Robbie didn't even want to think about the conversations he knew would be happening and wished he were as brave and fearless as Beck and Andre .

They knew what they wanted and that was that . They didn't care what the parents or anyone else had to say about it , it wasn't their call .

Cat rubbed a hand through his curls, massaging the tension there and pressed her forehead against his , hoping to relax him .

" You shouldn't stress on the first day of the best year of our lives , Robbie ," chided Cat, nibbling on his lips ," as for the rest , I thought you decided that you wanted to become a writer . "

Robbie heaved a sigh and knew he was pre-panicking and tried to stop himself .

He didn't need to be depressing his girlfriend before they even made it inside the building .

" I did, I mean, I do ," allowed Robbie , grazing her cheek with his nose ," I'm sorry, Cat, I had a breakfast meeting with my father this morning . I guess I let him get to me ."

" You shouldn't " Cat smoothed his hair with her hands ," It's your life , not his ."

" Could you maybe remind him of that ? "

Cat shook her head, vigorously ." Oh no, I can't , your Dad hates me "

Robbie's father was quite intimidating ( He and Jade's dad could be best pals and form a Mean Men club ) and always made her feel so much less than what she was , as if he didn't trust that she could be in love with his son .

Francine wasn't much friendlier but she spoke to her so Cat gave her a little credit .

Cat just didn't understand Robbie's parents .

" Dad doesn't hate you, dear heart ," reassured Robbie , though he and Robert hadn't actually had much of a conversation since he and Cat had been dating ," He doesn't know you ." He pressed a kiss to the palm of her hand ." We shouldn't be talking about my parents , it 's killing the mood this morning ."

" You did bring it up, Robbie "

" I know , I am stupid " Robbie climbed out of the car and reached for his girlfriends hand to help her out ," come on, let's go find the others before class ."

The couple walked through the Asphalt Café where Festus was wiping down the outside tables , scattered students sipped coffees and munched on breakfast foods before the first bell, while some of the dancers cut loose warming up to the old school electric boogalo playing on the loud speakers .

In other words it was a brand new school day at Hollywood Arts .

Robbie and Cat didn't have to go far to find Beck and Jade , the couple had gotten their large morning coffees from Jet Brew, and were talking amongst themselves as they met up with them . Beck looking unabashedly hot in worn jeans , a grey tank, and a vintage looking brown jacket while Jade looked gorgeous in tight fitting black jeans, a green flowing assemtriycal top, and her red boots .

Beck noticed them first and nodded ." Hey guys "

" Cat, we talked about you and coffee ,' scolded Jade , taking a long pull on the java to give her a morning jolt of caffeine ," you don't need the stuff . "

Cat shook her head at the silliness of her best gal pal ." Jade, I am not having coffee ," insisted Cat , matter of fact ," it makes both me and Robbie jumpy , we just wanted to say hi to you and Beck ."

" Okay then "

Beck slipped an arm casually around his girlfriends shoulder and shared a pained look with Robbie . " You talked to Andre this morning ? His Grandma called me at five in the morning looking for him … the woman was frantic. I texted and called him a couple of times but the dude never got back to me ."

" I told you Andre probably just stayed over at Vega's house " added a knowing Jade , who felt bad for their friend . She totally got the shitty dad crapola and knew that for as much as Andre joked about his grandma's crazy, he loved .She had basically raised him when his parents split and left him with her .

It had been a rough time for Andre and now Stan was back being an asshole .

" Mrs. Vega would have freaked if Andre stayed the night ," contributed Cat , leaning into Robbie ," She's been driving Tori nuts since Trina decided to move away and live with Spencer to play house ."

" Play house ? Who says that, Cat ? So Trina and Spencer are shacking up "

Cat blushed three shades of pink nearly matching her dress ." Nona says when a couple is unmarried its called playing house and a sin ."

" Your Nona is living in the Stone Ages, Cat " muttered Jade , blithely ," besides , not the point which is that I'd bet money that Andre is with Tori ."

" We can ask them right now " interrupted Beck, before Jade and Cat could debate the issue . He spotted a tired looking Andre and an anxious Tori walking together and waved them over to join them in their little circle .

" Hi guys " said Tori, holding onto Andre's side as if leaving him would cause him undo stress ," Is this our new morning ritual ? Cause we've already had enough hot cocoa this morning between the both of us and if I have any more I could float to the bathroom ."

Andre rubbed his eyes and sent an apologetic glance towards Beck. " Sorry Grandma woke you up ,man, " explained Andre ," I called and told her I was safe . It's all cool with her now .It was my fault, I was so busy spazzing out , I forgot she 'd be worried about me ."

Stan hadn't moved into a hotel or left the state which meant Andre would still have to face him . A firing squad or Tori's Dad would have been the lesser evil in this situation .

He knew if he didn't fight for his Grandma he would regret it the rest of his life .

Andre could analyze it six ways to Sunday and he always came back round to the truth .

" How are you holding up ? " asked Cat , with big, worried eyes as she let go of Robbie's hand to give him a warm hug ," You have sad face, Andre ."

" Thanks, Lil Red, I'm feeling a little rough ," admitted Andre , glancing idly at Jade's coffee wondering if the strong coffee would help ," Never expected this chizz from Stan - he doesn't remember grandma's birthday or her favorite perfume now he wants to lock her in some home for old people who are loony toons ."

Tori laid a hand on his arm feeling the muscles tense there ." Dre, we called Spencer and he promised to do research on it in his law books , it's not like your Dad is just going to drop her off there and leave ."

Andre grabbed the coffee from jade and took a huge swig of the bitter coffee scowling as it hit his windpipe . " God , this stuff is gross ! EEEW, how can you drink this chizz ? "

Cat couldn't help the giggle that escaped her mouth , Robbie grinned slightly , as Jade took back her coffee from him .

" You need to chill, dude "

" I know," Andre deflated instantly ," Maybe I should bail on school today until I can get my head back in the game again ."

Robbie shook his head in disagreement ." Andre, I really don't think you should do that '

Beck slapped a hand on his friends shoulder ." Come on, we got Sikowitz first thing morning , if listening to his personal problems don't cheer you up , nothing will ."

Tori shook his arm, lightly ." Come on, Andre , it will be fun ."

Andre heaved a exhausted sigh and knew that his friends were looking out for him

.Skipping his first day back as a Senior was bad and it would give Stan something to use against him like calling him an immature kid or chizz like that .

He wouldn't give the bastard a chance , even if he wasn't feeling school, he was in .

********************************Hearts ********************************

Gripping Tori's hand like a lifeline , Andre allowed her to drag him along following their friends inside the school with Beck and Jade leading and Robbie and Cat trailing in the middle , the colors and the energy of the performing arts school hitting them in the face as the HA Quartet passed them singing a jaunty old fashioned 'Hello ' while a cellist darted past them obviously running late for music class with Shorofsky .

It was crazy, it was unconventional , it was the best place to be and lifted his spirit .

" So I've been doing some thinking ," brought up Jade , conversationally ," I'm gonna hit Sikowitz up about finding Mom some auditions so she can go back to having her career and divorce Dad's ass ."

" Jade, babe ," Beck was cautious , knowing that she wouldn't have brought the subject out in the open unless she had given it a lot of thought . " I know you love your Mom and I don't disagree with you that she would be better off without your father but maybe you should just leave the whole issue be ."

He hoped like hell that Jade was feeling gentle or his life would be at stake .

" I have left it alone plenty ," pointed out Jade , sending him a perturbed look ," I'm going to college next year , Beck. I sure as hell don't want Mikey to be dealing with this shit by himself. Not to mention that it would make everyone happy if the divorce happened ."

Tori felt her stomach clench at the mention of divorce . David and Holly had reconciled and were going to therapy but that ugly word still upset her as her parents had batted that idea back and forth last semester after her Mom's affair with Dad's partner busted open and their problems bubbled up and exploded .

Trina had been her rock as well as Andre and her friends .

" I know your Dad is a horrible man, Jade , but he obviously still cares for your Mom '

Smoke all but flared in Jade's nostrils as she set her friend straight ." Just because the fuckin bastard doesn't hit her , doesn't leave a bruise , he wields the damn emotional abuse at Mom every minute of the day and she is too good of a person to defend herself . Mom uses all of that energy protecting me and Mikey , Vega '

She felt moisture behind her eyes and brushed at them , hating crying .

" Jade , you alright ? Tori didn't mean anything by it , babe " Beck caught his girlfriend in his arms , felt her tremble , then she simply relaxed her guard letting him console her .

.

" I'm fine , I'm pissed but I'm fine " admitted Jade , breathing in the sexy scent of him .

Beck was her calm in the storm and the dreadful ocean .She didn't need Vega's opinion on her parents situation , she didn't know a damn thing about their life .

Tori winced , feeling bad and reached out to lay a hand on Jade's back . " Sorry "

Cat scuffed the toe of her pale pink ballet flat on the floor and exhaled , slowly .

The last thing anyone wanted was another fight between Jade and Tori - and it had been such a nice summer too. Sigh .

" This isn't exactly the happy , cheerful first day of school I was expecting ," murmured Cat , under her breath ," Where is the fun ? "

Just then the principal, Helen Dubious, ambled briskly down the hallway pausing to give them the raised brow as she tapped a heel against the linoleum of the floor .

" Don't you teenagers have a class to be in right about now instead of loitering ? "

" Uh, yes, just going to Slivovitz class now " stammered a nervous Robbie for them .

" Get to it then , kids ," suggested Helen , appraising the group ," don't put me in a bad mood before I've had another cup of coffee ."

" We wont " assured Tori with a high pitched laugh ," you have a good morning, Helen ."

" Bye now ' said Helen, breezily then disappeared down the hallway , idly missing the days of running the Premier Theatre but not the money . She made much more as principal of this crazy school which Drake would have fit in quite well .

He was a big rock star now and she had a budget to cut , life goes on.

**********************************Hearts*******************************

Sikowitz's class was a welcome sight as the gang entered the room, the familiar props hanging on a bookcase , a purple boa, a fedora, drumsticks and dog eared copies of plays -ah, drama class time . Various playbills and posters filled the walls and the scent of coconut filled the room ( their favorite teacher must be hitting the coconut juice hard this summer ) as they settled into their regular seats -Andre and Tori in the front with Robbie and Cat sitting together on the right and Jade and Beck in the middle .

Other shruggers who happened to be Seniors as well mingled in chatting amongst themselves about what had happened over the summer and speculating on new gossip .

Were Tori and Andre really back together ?

Could Beck and Jade last as a super couple ?

Would Cat have competition now that girls got how adorable Robbie Shapiro really was spiking up his popularity since they had been dating ?

The door burst open bringing in Erwin Sikowitz, wild tuffs of hair sticking up, ever present coconut in hand , and dressed in loose mustard yellow paisley printed pants , a cream colored tunic worn loose , and a bright orange and red scarf trailing behind him as he hopped on the stage to address his class of favorites .

" Welcome back, mutants and aliens ,' greeted the teacher , taking a sip of the coconut nectar of the gods ," and I don't mean of the little , green men type either . Thinking outside of the box in acting is something we're going to focus on this year but for now , let's put our hands together for Jade West who's play 'Love's Lament' has earned her a hefty cash prize and a scholarship ." He bent at the waist " I bow to your brilliant and warped mind , Jade, and I am proud of you "

Jade grinned accepting the applause and the praise and feeling lighter than she had before as a smile tugged around the corner of her mouth.

.

" Thanks ," acknowledged Jade , ' I am working on a new play actually . Thought about writing a sequel to Love's Lament but changed my mind, gonna be a different kind of period piece with dames and dorky flyboys, maybe ."

Robbie's brown eyes lit up behind his glasses ." It was a different kind of times in the 1940's and gosh , those spunky dames always had class and great gams ."

" Ah, the riveting 1940's ," marveled Sikowitz , staring up in the air , imagining some of the classic movies of the bygone era and wondered if he could work it in his lesson plan. Why not ! They were big Seniors this year and this would be the last challenges he could throw their way, might as well give it to them the best he got ," which is ironic since their were a lot of riveting betty's back in the day, some private dicks , those flyboys and army boys , the whole she-bag . Dying to see what your twisted mind will delight us with in this era, Jade ."

Despite her nature , all of her plays were layered and so faceted -from dark to raw and romantic with a touch of satire , Jade had the talent and the chops to go far in her craft and he would push and encourage her the whole year . He needed to get Beck out of his comfort zone and into more challenging roles which he believed the young man was more than capable of portraying . Beck Oliver was a leading man .

Sikowitz clapped his hands together in delight , anticipating the year ahead .

Now he just needed to get the young people out of their own heads and drama and kick their prospective acting butts in gear !

" So does this mean we can put it on for the Senior play ? " demanded Jade, eagerly .

" Hold it , toots, it's the first day of school ," said the teacher ," keep writing and give me something to read then we'll talk about the big, ole Senior play "

Jade folded her arms across her chest ." Oh, I will ."

Beck placed a comforting hand on her leg and looked into her eyes ." Breathe ."

Jade pursed her red lips and nodded as if to say ; I am breathing ' to her boyfriend .

" How was my summer , you ask ? " brought up an anxious Erwin, amused as Tori shared a confused look with Andre ," I will be delighted to tell you how I spent it ."

Tori raised a hand , slightly ." We saw you in Seattle ."

Andre was all serious ." Or did you forget already ? "

The man was brilliant even though he could be nuttier than a fruitcake most of the time .

" No, I didn't forget ," chided Sikowitz , " You kids are too Negative Nancy and Whiny Willy this morning, knock it off ! Your bringing me and the whole class down and I wont have it " He thumped Andre on the back of his head and moved around the class ," As I was saying before my little visit to Seattle and the Shakespeare festival, I did Red Rock and Burning man which was incredible ! "

A almost dreamy expression stole across his face then disappeared ." The music, the magic, the burning , and it was there I met the most exciting woman . " He held his breath then let it out " Judy Dingle -ah, the ying to my yang, the light to my whatever my aura is and we hit it off and are now involved in a long distance romance ."

" How sweet ! She isn't going to dump you like the other women you dated , I hope " volunteered Cat then grimaced realizing she might have accidentally hurt her favorite teachers feelings .

" Cat , sweetheart, not really helping " reminded Robbie, gently .

" I know "

" Thank you, Cat and Robbie , but I have hope that Judy and I will temp fate and withstand the distance between L.A. and Malibu for our romance was written in the stars "

Sikowitz didn't know why there was the feeling of gloom and doom in his room though it seemed to surround his six favorite students and he wouldn't be having anymore of it .

They needed to shake it off and fast .

" Alright , I want everybody up and out of your seats ," urged the drama teacher , tipping Tori's chair , ignoring her frown ," swivel your hips , boogie , boogie , keep it up ."

Robbie smiled , embarrassed , tried to get his hips to move as his girlfriend giggled at him .

" Why are we doing this ? "

" To loosen you all up ," encouraged Sikowitz , stepping next to Cat and dancing side by side with her ," De-stress, pretend your all dancers from the 1980's and we're inviting folks to step up to the mike and join us "

Robbie stopped dancing , grew thoughtful ." Have you been talking to my Aunt Doris ? I've heard of this weird dance that kids our age just don't do ."

Cat caught Robbie's hand and bounced beside him, her mood infectious ." This is fun "

" Boogie , boogie , swivel, swivel "

Tori and Andre got into it , dancing in unison, as they so often performed together and let the pretend music carry their troubles away . Lame as the exercise was, it did help .

" Think we might get laughed off a music video if we tried this there , Tor," grinned Andre, grabbing a hold of her waist ," but you know , I feel not so bad ."

" Good but why are we stepping up to the mike ? There isn't even a microphone in here "

" Its an acting exercise , tori, just go with it ," encouraged Sikowitz , pausing near Beck and Jade who were barely dancing ," Beck, Jade, I see no boogie from you two , why is that ? "

" This is lame "

" Can I just do an accent ? My hips don't swivel like that ' offered Beck, seriously .

" No, no accents , and Jade , boogie boogie with the boyfriend " replied Sikowitz , not giving them a choice ," Step up to the mike and say what's on your mind, boogie, boogie , swivel those hips, boogie , boogie . Everyone watch Andre and Tori please "

It looked like he would have his work cut out for him this year , come what may.


End file.
